Aftermath
by Airhead259
Summary: Post-LR. Lightning and Hope set out on a journey to find their friends.
1. Chapter 1

_I started writing this about a month after LR came out in Japan. I'd watched the livestreams in Japanese and I was still reeling after watching the ending, so I decided to write down my feelings, which eventually evolved into this fic. This is yet another post-LR story; one that I've slowly been expanding on for a while now. It's more like a really long story divided into separate chapters, so there may be some abrupt cut-offs (though I'll try my best to keep those to a minimum). And it's centred around Lightning and Hope (yes, again) because I love writing about them and their partnership. Please enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XIII or its characters._

* * *

Aftermath: Chapter 1

A cool breeze greeted her as she stepped out of the train, playing with the strands of hair against her cheek. With a soft smile, she brushed them away and took in the sight before her. A dirt path extended as far as her eyes could see, flanked by vast plantations on either side. In the distance she saw rolling hills that met the sky at the horizon. _'This is a new journey…'_ she thought to herself as she stepped forward.

She followed the path for what seemed like an eternity, thinking about her previous life, before she was the Savior of Souls or Etro's Knight. When she had been just Lightning, a soldier serving in the Guardian Corps. Back then, she had never taken the time to appreciate her surroundings. The seaside town of Bodhum had been a popular tourist attraction even without the fireworks and festivals, but she never once walked around the town without a purpose. _'I guess I was just that kind of person…always charging forward without a second thought. Back then, it seemed like I never had enough time to do anything.'_

She smiled. _'But now, I have all the time in the world.'_

Eventually, the path came to a stop in front of a wooden gate. Beyond it stood a modest house, painted blue and white. A single car stood in the driveway, parked in front of a garage. She looked down at the gate and saw a sign – the faded lettering read _Estheim Residence_. Acknowledging that she was at the right place, she opened the gate and stepped inside. She walked up to the door, rang the doorbell once and waited.

A minute later, she heard the click of a lock and the door swung open to reveal a middle-aged woman. Her hair was white, though not due to her age, and her green eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Hello," she greeted with a smile. "We don't often get visitors. May I know why you're here?"

The gentle look in her eyes when she smiled was all-too-familiar. Before Lightning could stop herself, she said, "You're Nora Estheim, aren't you?"

The woman before her seemed surprised. "Yes, that's me. Though I don't think we've met before…" she raised a hand to her chin, trying to remember. Lightning shook her head.

"No, we haven't met, but I know your son. He-" She bit her lip. "He and I worked together, in a sense."

Nora Estheim's eyes lit up. "Ah! Then you must be Lightning!"

It was her turn to be surprised. "…how did you…?"

"He talks about you and some other friends of his from time to time. The way he describes her and the way you carry yourself…you both seem like the type my son would look up to."

This time, Lightning smiled and held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Estheim. I used to be known as Lightning, but my name is Claire Farron. Please, call me Claire."

Nora shook her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, too," she replied, her grin widening. "I'll go get Hope, please wait right here."

Lightning nodded as the woman walked off. Knowing that Hope still spoke of her warmed her heart. She could almost picture the boy's reaction upon seeing her standing at his doorstep, him running towards her and looking up at her with a smile on his face.

But she did not get what she expected. Instead of a fourteen year old boy, a young man approached the door. His gaze was directed towards the floor, and he seemed dazed, almost as if he had just woken up. However, when he looked up and saw her, his eyes lit up instantly. He began walking faster and before she knew it, Lightning was caught in an embrace.

"…Lightning? I-is it really you?"

She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away slightly. He was taller than her now, she noted, but his expression was familiar.

"You of all people should know I don't like being hugged," she chided, and he let go almost instantly. Before he could begin to apologize, however, she smiled. "But this time I'll make an exception. It's good to see you again, Hope."

"L-likewise," he responded, apparently still in shock. Within moments he composed himself. "Why don't you come in and sit down?" he offered, stepping aside. She nodded and followed him into the house, to a sitting room filled with family artefacts. She seated herself on one of the white sofas in the middle of the room. Hope sat down across from her and leaned forward, resting his chin on his clasped hands.

"So I hear you're a researcher now," she said simply.

He nodded. "I've worked as a part-time research assistant at some universities…but how did you know?"

"Serah," she replied simply. "A few days ago she found out that you were once a research assistant at the university she teaches at."

He looked surprised, but then lowered his gaze to the table between them. "I suppose that explains why I didn't find her first. I don't really look at staff records…"

"I think it was a lucky break on her part," Lightning added. "It seems like Serah's gift as a Seeress carried over into this world as intuition. She even found Snow just a few months after we both arrived in this world together. I've been living with the two of them ever since."

"And...what about the others?"

"We tracked down Noel and Yeul. They owned a flower shop back in the city, and Serah was eager to meet them. They seemed happy."

Hope smiled. "So now there are five less people for me to worry about," he joked. But Lightning knew that there was truth behind his words. '_He really has been worried for all of us...'_

"Serah also managed to locate Sazh."She paused. _'Serah has managed to accomplish so much in this world, but I…' _She pushed the thought away and continued. "He's a pretty well-known mechanic, and he works at a shop some hours from here by train. I figured everyone else couldn't be too far away, either."

At the mention of Sazh, Hope's smile had grown. Lightning could understand how he felt - he had looked up to the man as a father figure.

"So you set out to look for us, and I was the closest, huh?" he asked.

"…you were, but that wasn't the only reason why I came here first." This time he met her eyes, his gaze curious. She sighed. "The truth is…I'd like you to come with me. To look for the others."

"…_me_?" The surprise was evident in his tone.

She nodded. "Yeah…or at least that's what I _was_ thinking. But now, I've realized…" she shook her head and clenched her fists in her lap. "I've been selfish."

"What do you mean?" She looked up and saw him watching her, a determined look in his eyes. It seemed like he would not look away until he got an answer. She sighed again.

"When we arrived in this world, Serah and I were together. I assumed that the others would be as well, Fang and Vanille, Sazh and his son, Noel and Yeul. So when I found out about Sazh, I didn't think it would be practical for me to tear him away from his son."

"But I was selfish," she repeated. "I assumed that you would be free from obligations, and eager to come along with me. I didn't stop to think for even a moment that you would have your own life, with your family."She looked away, avoiding his eyes. "I'm sorry, Hope."

"…you don't need to apologise, Light," Upon hearing her old nickname, she glanced at him again. _'It really has been a while since someone called me that…'_

"I don't want to tear you away from your family, either," she said, her tone insistent. "And…just now, when I suggested it, you seemed pretty shocked."

He seemed to realise that she had misunderstood something, because he shook his head firmly. "No, that was…I was just surprised, that's all. We worked together in Nova Chrysalia, but from what I remember, you always preferred to work alone."

"I did…" _'And maybe, in some ways, I still do.'_ "But I'm willing to make an exception."

This time, Hope laughed. "You seem to be doing that a lot today," he teased, ignoring her death glare. "But I'd be glad to come along. It'll be good to see everyone again, if we do find them."

He stood up, and Lightning took that as her cue to stand up as well. "You're sure?" she asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Of course. And besides," he continued, holding out his hand. "You and I are still partners, right?"

She distantly remembered the time she had said the same words to him. With a smile, she took his hand and shook it firmly. "Right."

* * *

Hope's mother insisted that she stay for lunch, and she could not help but oblige the woman and her warm smile. Bartholomew Estheim joined them at the table. Although he was surprised at first, he acknowledged her presence with a nod that held a deeper meaning behind it. _'Thank you for taking care of my son.'_

Eating with a family was something she had not experienced in years. It was different when she ate with Serah and Snow – with them, she felt like she belonged. And although she didn't feel unwelcome at the Estheim residence, something made her feel like an outsider, almost as though she was sitting in on something private. Still, Lightning could not help but smile as she watched Nora tease her son when he refused a second helping. Even Bartholomew let out a laugh at his son's protests as Nora heaped a huge helping onto his plate.

_'__Although it feels different, it's still…fun.'_

* * *

When Lightning finally stepped onto the front porch, streaks of purple clouds stretched across the sky as the sinking sun glowed a deep orange. _'The sun will set soon,'_ she mused

The sound of footsteps behind her snapped her out of her reverie. Hope appeared at the doorway, a small suitcase in hand. "You've got one too, so I thought I'd carry some things just in case."

"You don't need to justify yourself, you know."

"I know, but I felt like it."

After bidding goodbye to Hope's parents, the two of them set off towards the station. _'It's going to be quite the journey,'_ she thought, looking up at the darkening orange sky.

She heard a chuckle beside her. "What's so funny?" she asked, turning her head to face him as they walked.

"Oh nothing really…I was just wondering how you got this address."

"Serah gave it to me. She said she got it from her university." She paused, confused. "Why?"

He looked up at the sky. "It's just…a coincidence, that's all," he replied, a small smile on his face. "Because I don't live here – I have my own apartment, in the city. I just visit my parents on weekends." He glanced at her. "If you'd come here a day later, you would've missed me."

"Oh." Was all she said, but there was a deeper meaning behind it.

_'__One day later, and he wouldn't have been here. Was I just lucky? Or was it something else…?'_

A small smile played upon her lips as she walked forward. _'I guess I'll just have to wait and see.'_

* * *

_That's it for this chapter, though I might post the next one tomorrow. I'm still working on the third, and I hope to wrap this up within five or six chapters in total._

_Please do leave a review! I really appreciate the feedback!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, so as per a suggestion by MidnightFenrir, this fic is going to be under the Romance genre from now on. I'm a little nervous, since there are a lot of Hoperai authors who do a really great job with the ship, while I, being a huge fan of their platonic relationship, spend more time on banter and the like instead of fluff. But I'll try to do my best with this fic - please leave a review if you have any suggestions or comments!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters._

* * *

Aftermath: Chapter 2

The last rays of sunlight faded from the sky, and the world outside the train was cast in darkness. The occasional light from a house cut through the darkness, but they were few and far between.

Lightning looked away from the window, her face still resting in her palm, and chose to observe her travelling companion instead. He was seated across from her, reading a book that he had brought along for the train ride. When she had questioned him about it, he had replied by saying, "I know you aren't big on conversation, Light. So if I'm reading this, you won't be forced to talk to me."

She had almost laughed. _'He knows me too well,' _she had thought at the time. But now, the silence between them seemed to drag on and on. She was _bored_.

She glanced at his hair, then his hands as they held the book – she could hardly believe how much he had changed. Granted, she had watched him grow from her seat in Valhalla, but the differences were more obvious now that she was with him in person. She had grown used to seeing him as a child, even in Nova Chrysalia, when his mind and soul had still been those of a man.

Yet, despite the changes, sitting with him now was not uncomfortable. Just…different. Hope was still Hope, after all, no matter what he looked like.

"What are you reading?" she blurted out suddenly. He glanced up at her, confused, and she felt a strong urge to slap herself. But then, he smiled.

"It's the story of a man who became Father Time," he replied. "Would you like to read the back?"

He made a motion to close the book, but she shook her head. "No, it's okay. Just a second." She rose from her seat and moved to sit beside him. "Keep reading. I'll…watch you read, or something."

Hope chuckled. "Are you really _that_ bored, Light?"

She smirked in response. "Says the one who's been stuck on the same page for the last fifteen minutes."

His eyes grew wide, and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!" he exclaimed, and she bit back a smile. _'Now that's more like the Hope I knew when he was a kid. It was always easy to get him flustered.'_

"I couldn't concentrate with you staring at me like that," he huffed. "It was driving me nuts. Was there something on my face? Did my hair catch fire when I wasn't looking?"

This time, she let out a short laugh. "You're ridiculous," she told him, shaking her head. "Just get back to your book. I'll try not to get in your way."

"You're sure you don't just want me to stop? We could just talk instead."

"…I'll pass."

He sighed. "Whatever you say, Light."

* * *

A while later, Hope felt a weight against his shoulder. He glanced down only to see that Lightning had fallen asleep in her seat. At some point she had shifted so that her back was now resting against his side, her head leaning back on his shoulder for support. Realising that this was probably unintentional (not to mention uncomfortable), he prodded her in the back with his elbow, hoping that she would wake up. Instead, however, she mumbled something in her sleep and lifted her legs onto the seat, leaning even further against him.

'_Well, at least she looks more comfortable now,'_ he thought, closing the book and placing it in the bag beside him with as little movement as he could manage. He then leaned back and closed his eyes.

'_She finally let her guard down,' _he mused as he began to doze off, a small smile on his face.

* * *

"-ight? …Light? Wake up…"

Lightning opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times in a weak attempt to focus her gaze. The first thing she saw was the battered ceiling of the train compartment they were in. She leaned her head back a little further, and the second thing she saw was the corner of Hope's face.

"Uh, we're almost at our stop," he said, and his voice snapped her back to reality. With a start, she pushed herself off of him, moving a few inches away on the seat.

'_I passed out on him?! Why didn't he wake me up? Unless he tried…and it didn't work.'_ She heaved a sigh and raised a hand to her forehead, refusing to meet his gaze as her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry about that, Hope. I must've been pretty heavy."

He grinned sheepishly. "Don't worry about it. I used to fall asleep on you all the time back in the Gapra Whitewood, remember?"

She smiled. There was no way she could forget the days and nights they had spent hiding from patrols, huddled together in the translucent foliage. During those moments, she had not been Lightning the soldier, but Lightning the protector. It had almost made her feel like a normal human being again.

"…and the numbness in my side should wear off soon enough," he finished with something akin to a smirk on his face. The nostalgic cloud around her dissipated.

She grunted and punched him in the arm. "That should help."

* * *

When they stepped out of the train, Lightning glanced around, surprised. She had expected a mechanic to be situated in the midst of a bustling town. Instead, this platform was located practically in the middle of nowhere, not much different from the one near Hope's house.

It was still early in the morning and dawn was barely breaking, but the small coffee shop at the station was open. Hope offered to buy them a snack and walked towards the shop, while Lightning sat down at a bench and pulled out the map her sister had printed out for her.

"_You can find just about anything on the Internet," _Serah had told her. _"Here's a general location, though you might still have to ask for directions when you get there."_

Lightning had nodded. _"How hard could it be?" _she had replied at the time. But now, she wasn't so sure. She could see their current location and the location of the repair shop, but she had no idea how long it would take to get there. "We don't have any kind of transport..." she muttered to herself. "What if it's too far to get to on foot?"

She placed her head in her hands. "I hate how useless I am in this world..."

This was how Hope found her when he returned, his suitcase in one hand and a bag containing sandwiches in the other. "Something wrong, Light?" he asked, and she snapped her head up to look at him.

'_Always worried...just like back in Nova Chrysalia.' _She shook her head. "I'm fine," she insisted, standing up and folding the map in her hands. "Just...wondering how long it'll take for us to find Sazh."

"You know where he is, don't you?"

"Yeah, but..." She unfolded the relevant portion of the map. "This is us." She pointed at an icon representing a train station. "And this is the place we need to get to." This time, she indicated an empty patch of field with an arrow over it, a few inches away. "It's too small to be considered a landmark, and I don't know if we can even walk there."

He studied both points for a few moments. "You're right; this map doesn't indicate a scale, either. Why don't we just ask the station master, or someone in charge?"

She glared at him. "Hope, you realise how small this repair shop is, don't you? How is anyone here supposed to know where it is?"

Hope looked at her, confused. "These people _live_ here, Light," he argued. "If anything, they'll know better than we do."

"I don't need their help!"

"You're being unreasonable!"

She stopped, her eyes wide. Hope looked every bit as frustrated as she felt, and she began to reflect on her words, finding that her argument made less sense the more she thought about it. "I'm sorry..." she sighed. "I...for as long as I can remember, I've always asserted my authority while talking to people. Even back in Bodhum, when I was in the Corps, I spoke to them as a soldier. Later on, as the Saviour, I knew what my role entailed, and that made me confident."

"But in this world...I'm nothing." She glanced at the map, then raised her eyes to meet his. "I can't talk to people like I used to. I'm...afraid to ask anyone for help."

She waited for a reaction. A few seconds passed, but he said nothing. Then, after a minute had gone by, he wordlessly took the map from her hands and walked away.

"Hope, what-"

He continued walking without a word. Lightning began to grow worried. This was a side of him she had never seen before. He had been watching her as she spoke, searching her eyes for something, his gaze cold and unfamiliar. How many times had he used that look on his subordinates, on other people, to get information from them? She refused to think about it. Although she had not flinched under his gaze, she was sure that others had not been as lucky.

When he finally returned, she was afraid to look him in the eye – not out of fear, but because she was ashamed. She knew that her outburst had been unwarranted, and she wondered what he thought of her now. There was a time when he had admired her strength and confidence. What did he think of her now that he knew that she was nothing more than a coward?

"It's about ten minutes away." Hope's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. But contrary to what she had expected, his tone was as casual as always. She took a risk and glanced at him, only to see that he was still poring over her map, like nothing had happened.

"The attendant at the ticket counter said we should follow this path." He gestured at something on the map, and despite herself, Lightning moved to stand beside him, getting a closer look. He was pointing at a fuzzy image of a path that went almost straight to their destination. He raised his hand and her eyes followed as he pointed at a dirt track leading away from the station. "That's the one."

"You're sure?" She looked up at him, but his gaze was still directed forward.

"Positive. And you know, you could've just told me the truth." At this, he glanced down at her. In a mock hurt tone, he added, "I thought you trusted me."

"_You_ of all people should know that I do," she countered, still surprised that he had not reacted more violently. "But I'm sorry." She began to play with her hands. "I didn't want you to think I was weak. You've always had an image of me being strong – I didn't want to ruin it."

"I don't think you're weak, Light," he said with a smile. "We all have our issues. I-"

At that, he paused. Lightning sensed that something was wrong – he looked hesitant, as though he had almost exposed a deep, dark secret. "You…?" she prompted, but he did not respond, choosing instead to shake his head and fold up the map in his hands.

"It's nothing," he replied after a few moments. "Come on, we should start walking."

He reached into the bag on his arm and pulled out a sandwich. "Here. To eat on the way."

She wanted to pry further – ask what was bothering him, what had caused his sudden change in mood. But she finally decided against it. _'Maybe there are some things I'm better off not knowing,'_ she thought to herself, remembering his icy gaze from earlier.

Together, they set off on the path to find Sazh.

* * *

_Can anyone guess which book Hope was reading on the train? It should be an easy one. :U_


	3. Chapter 3

_This is a pretty short update, and it's more of a filler chapter. But I hope that what it lacks in plot advancement, it makes up for with (some) background development! I'm already halfway through writing the next chapter though, so it should be up soon. Until then, enjoy, and please let me know what you think!_

__Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters.__

* * *

Aftermath: Chapter 3

They followed the path, making casual conversation as they walked. Lightning could still sense that her comrade was hiding something from her, and the urge to question him grew stronger. But she decided against it, knowing that he wouldn't give her an honest answer anyway. He had adopted many of her habits over the years, and this was one of them. Instead, they talked about their lives in the new world, while eating their sandwiches.

Lightning was not surprised to hear about Hope's research accomplishments. On the other hand, _he_ was surprised to learn about her relatively idyllic lifestyle. While Serah continued her teaching career at a university and Snow took up various odd jobs as they came along, she had opted to stay at home instead of looking for a job.

"I'd assumed you'd get restless with nothing to do," he told her.

"You're not wrong," she replied. "But the only thing I was ever good at was fighting, and our town doesn't need guards or soldiers of any kind. I jog around town every morning to keep myself active, but that's about it."

They arrived at the small shop within fifteen minutes. As expected, it was more like a small open garage, filled with old cars and spare parts. Two men were inside, tinkering with an automobile that looked to be way past its prime. Lightning glanced around, and Hope did the same, but there was no sign of Sazh.

Hope leaned towards her so he could whisper in her ear. "Are you sure this is the place Light? A lot of these cars look more like scrap metal than repair jobs."

Inexplicably, her cheeks reddened at his close proximity. She batted him away and strode forward, clearing her throat to catch the mechanics' attention. They glanced up from their work and stared openly at her, but she did not flinch.

"We're looking for a man named Sazh Katzroy. We heard he works here."

"Ah, Mr. Katzroy? The guy with the kid son?" The younger of the two men asked, and she nodded. He let out a laugh. "Sure, he works here."

"He came in one day, said he knew his way around airplanes," the other man told them. "We didn't think he'd be much help with car repairs, but he got us out of a few big scrapes. We owe him a lot."

"Where is he now?" Hope chimed in. "We'd like to meet him. We're old friends of his."

"He doesn't live too far from here. About twenty minutes away, if you're driving."

"We aren't. Can't we walk?"

The older man shook his head. "Wouldn't recommend it. The terrain being how it is, it'd take you about an hour on foot."

"We don't have a car, so we don't have a choice." Lightning sighed. "Looks like this is going to be more complicated than I thought."

"Wait." The younger mechanic stood up and walked to the back of the shop, approaching a large object covered with a tarp. He pulled the sheet off to reveal an old-fashioned white convertible. It looked good enough to be brand new, and had two seats.

"This is Mr. Katzroy's car," he told them. "He leaves it here when it needs a new paint job. I just finished with it yesterday, so you could take it to him if you'd like."

Lightning thought about this for a moment. _'It's tempting…but I don't even have a driver's license in this world. Looks like we'll be going on foot after all.'_

She opened her mouth to refuse the offer, but Hope spoke before she could say anything. "Alright, we'll take it."

_'__Is he joking?!' _She cast him a sidelong glance, hoping that her incredulous expression would tip him off. Sure enough, he turned to her.

"Don't worry, Light. I've got my license with me." He fumbled around in his pockets and retrieved a wallet – inside it was a bunch of cards, including a driver's license with his name, details and face on it.

"Is this…real?" she asked, reaching out to take it in her hands. She turned the card over multiple times as though looking for signs that it was forged, and Hope let out a laugh.

"Of course it is. I'm _27_, Light. I drive all the time – it was _my_ car parked in the driveway back at my parents' house."

Her lips formed a silent 'o' as she took in this information. _'I keep forgetting he isn't a kid anymore.'_

Then, she mentally slapped herself. _'We could've driven here instead of taking the train! Why didn't he mention it before?!' _But she said nothing more as she watched the two mechanics tow the car out of the garage and onto the road. Hope tossed their bags in the trunk, then sat in the driver's seat and looked over the controls.

"Are you sure you don't mind us taking this car?"

The older of the two men shook his head. "One of us would've taken it to him anyway." He grinned. "You'll be saving us a trip."

The younger mechanic handed Hope a piece of paper. "Here, I drew you a road map." The two of them discussed the route, while Lightning sat down in the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt.

"Sure you can drive this thing, Hope?" she asked, eyeing the steering wheel and gear stick. The controls were completely different from those in the vehicles of Cocoon, and she wondered how long it had taken him to learn how to drive in this world.

Hope thanked the mechanics, who then returned to the garage to continue their work. She watched him as he turned to the steering wheel, fiddling with something underneath it. "I'm on it," was his brief response, and as if on cue, the engine roared to life.

He grinned. "Let's go."

* * *

As they drove to Sazh's house, Lightning cast Hope a sidelong glance. She vaguely noted that she had been doing that a lot. _'It must be because he looks so different in person. I'm still not used to it.'_

The wind whipped through her hair, tossing it in every direction, but his hair remained mostly untouched. The white locks glinted in the morning sunlight, and she suddenly wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through his hair. She found herself reaching for him and caught herself at the last minute, pulling her hand away and using it to shield her eyes from the sun's rays.

_'__What am I doing?! One minute I'm thinking about how he's changed, the next I'm trying to pet him like he's a sheep? Something's wrong with me…'_

She shook her head in an attempt to distract herself, and rested her arm on the top of the car door. She gazed at the fields that they drove past, distantly wondering whether he had noticed her strange behaviour.

"Y'know, you're really fidgety, Light."

She nearly jumped in her seat before turning around and meeting his eyes. He was looking right at her, an amused expression on his face.

"Keep your eyes on the road," she told him, trying to sound strict but failing miserably. He obeyed anyway, giving her a brief nod before turning his attention back to the road.

After a few moments of silence, he spoke. "Ever since we set out on this journey, it feels like I've seen so many different sides to you, sides that I never saw when I was a kid. Back then, you were just the stoic, confident soldier that I looked up to. You didn't trust anyone. And it was the same on Nova Chrysalia."

"I trusted you then. I took your advice, didn't I?" she replied defensively.

"You did, but you rarely confided in me." She knew that that was true, and said nothing in response.

"Of course, you were right to do that," he continued. "But today, I saw you let your guard down. You fell asleep on me on the train, and you told me that you felt unconfident talking to people. You were honest with me, and I'd like to think that means you trust me now. So…thanks, Light."

Lightning was stunned. She had no way to respond to his words, because she had only just realised it herself. _'He really has grown into a person I can rely on, and I've been doing just that all day.'_

Lost in thought, she almost didn't catch the words that he said next, barely above a whisper.

"I hope I can be honest with you too, someday."


	4. Chapter 4

_I forgot to put this into the last chapter, but thanks for the guess xxviolettxx - you were absolutely right! I finished reading Mitch Albom's 'The Time Keeper' a few weeks ago and I thought it was an appropriate book for Hope to be reading on the train. And thank you for the encouragement - I'll keep doing my best with this story!_

_I'd also like to thank all the people who have faved and followed Aftermath. Knowing that you like this fic and anticipate updates makes me even more eager to churn out chapters as fast as possible. If you've got any feedback or suggestions, do let me know!_

_And of course, a big thank you to my reviewers: MidnightFenrir, _xxviolettxx, TheMysteriousGeek2345, and Guest No.1 (thank you, and I guarantee that you'll find out what Hope's issue is...eventually. ;D). Your reviews keep me going!__

__This A/N is a little long, but I hope that this chapter is worth it...please enjoy!__

__Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters.  
__

* * *

Aftermath: Chapter 4

After a few wrong turns (and some impatient murmuring from Lightning), they finally reached the place marked on Hope's road map – a narrow lane with houses along both sides. Sazh's house was a single-story villa, painted yellow, with a large garage beside it. Behind it she saw a wide open stretch of land, at least three times as large as the house, surrounded by a low fence.

They parked the car by the side of the road and walked up to the front door. Aside from the sounds of nature, the area was silent.

"Do you think anyone's home?" Hope's question mirrored her thoughts, and she shook her head briefly.

"Dunno. It seems pretty quiet." She rang the doorbell. When there was no response, she rang it again and tried to glance through the parted curtains around the window. "It's dark inside, too."

"He might be out," her companion suggested. But before she could respond, they heard the sound of footsteps dashing through the house. After a few moments, the door swung open and Sazh stood in the doorway. His clothes were covered in mud and he wore gloves on his hands, but his expression morphed into a familiar grin as soon as he set his eyes on his visitors.

"Soldier girl!" he exclaimed, pulling off his gloves. "Been wondering when you'd show up." He almost reached forward to hug her, but stopped at the last minute, realising that he would probably end up getting mud all over her pristine white shirt. So he settled for a handshake instead.

"Good to see you too, old man," she teased, an uncharacteristic smile on her face. She patted his shoulder with her free hand, her grin widening at the dumbfounded expression on his face.

He shook his head. "Lightning _grinning_…never thought I'd see the day." He stepped aside. "Why don't you come on in?"

As she entered the house, she heard him greet Hope as he trailed behind her. "And if it isn't Hope! Great to see you back to normal, kid."

"I'm not a kid anymore!" she heard Hope whine, and she bit back a laugh.

"Everyone's a kid once you get to be my age," Sazh sighed, closing the door behind him. "C'mon, I'll show you two around."

The inside of the house was mostly dark, lit in patches by the natural light that flooded in through the windows. They walked through a hallway and into a sitting room, where he instructed them to wait while he fetched them refreshments.

"You two must've come a long way, and I'm not lettin' you leave without a snack," he told them in a fatherly tone, before ducking out of the room. Lightning and Hope sat down in separate armchairs and silently looked around the room. The furnishings were simple – a few sofas and a centre table, and a television mounted inside a cabinet with a bookcase on either side. One of the cases was filled with novels; the other contained small figurines, some of which looked like they had been made by a child. Lightning smiled. _'Those must be Dajh's.'_

"Where's Dajh?" Hope asked, echoing her thoughts, and she looked away from the bookscase only to see that Sazh had re-entered the room. He was holding a tray that contained a plate of sandwiches and three glasses of lemonade. He placed the tray on the table and sat down in a nearby recliner, leaning back and making himself comfortable.

"Help yourselves," he said, indicating the tray, and the two of them grabbed a glass each. Sazh picked up his own glass and took a small sip.

"Dajh's spending the day over at Vanille and Fang's place," he answered calmly. He then grinned as he watched their expressions change from relaxed to shocked in a matter of seconds.

"You know where they are?! Are they close by?" Hope asked excitedly, and Lightning fought to suppress her surprise as well. _'I didn't expect to find them this fast.'_

Sazh nodded. "They live about an hour's drive away. They're plannin' on settin' up some kind of petting zoo, out here in the country."

"Well, Vanille always _did_ like small animals."

"Now that you know they're here, I hope you two won't run out on me to go find them," Sazh joked.

"Of course not," Lightning insisted, shaking her head. "You're a friend, too. And we came here to visit _you_ first."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I gotta say…I'm flattered."

They spoke for hours, asking Sazh about his life after arriving in the new world with his son. Lightning told him how Serah had tracked him down via the Internet. She had run his name through a search engine and found it on the repair shop's website. Upon hearing this, he laughed.

"So _that's_ how you found me? And I'll bet you drove my car here, too."

When Hope nodded, Sazh turned to Lightning. "So? How's the kid's driving?"

A pause. Then, "He's reckless. He doesn't watch the road, and he drives with one hand when he thinks I'm not looking." She shot the younger man a mock glare, and the incredulous expression on his face was priceless.

"At…at least I _can_ drive!" he retorted weakly, sitting up in his armchair and drawing himself up to his full height in order to look more mature. But the pout on his face made him look more like a child than Lightning had seen all day, and she shook her head with a faint smile, knowing that she had won this round.

By this point, Sazh was in hysterics. They turned to him as his laughter died down and he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Been a while since I last laughed that much," he said, still grinning. "You two sure know how to cheer an old man up."

"We weren't really trying-"

"You sure 'bout that?" He raised an eyebrow. "'cause if you weren't, then I'd say you've gotten a lot closer since I last saw you both. That exchange right there was proof."

Hope flushed slightly, shrinking back in his seat, and Lightning's cheeks turned pink. "And how exactly did _that_ _exchange_ prove anything?" she asked.

"C'mon. Even _I_ could see through that fake glare of yours, Lightning." She gave him an icy look, but he only shrugged in response. "I'm just glad to see you're relyin' on someone else for once, is all."

"A-anyway." She cleared her throat, intent on changing the subject. "Why were you surprised when we said we found you through that repair shop?"

"Ah, that." He shifted in his chair. "I just tinkered around there for a little while. I got most of their cars and gizmos working pretty quickly. Then, they gave me a challenge – that jalopy you drove here. It was a wreck when I first saw it, but I had it fixed up in a couple of days. They let me keep it, as a present. If my_ name's_ on their website, they must've been _really_ impressed."

"So…you don't actually _work_ there?"

He shook his head. "I still drop by sometimes, but…farming's the only thing this old man's good for these days."

Hope looked at him with surprise. "You have a farm?"

Sazh grinned. "C'mon, I'll show you."

* * *

He led them into the kitchen and stopped in front of the back door. "This here's my pride and joy," he told them, pulling the door open to reveal the backyard. The entire plot had been converted into a large farm, surrounded by large bushes on all sides. An orchard had been planted near the back fence, and a few other trees were scattered between the small fields to provide shade. Each field appeared to be growing a different kind of vegetable – Lightning identified carrots, beans, cabbages, and various others.

"It's like Canopus Farms, only bigger," she whispered, stepping outside and looking around in awe.

"Mm-hmm," Sazh hummed in agreement. "Back then, I was in a real slump. Didn't wanna see anybody, so I hid myself and Dajh away on that cliff that no one could get to." He sighed. "But, you know, a man's gotta eat. So I came down every now and then, and I talked to the locals. Learned everything I could about farming from them, and I thought I'd try it out here."

"It really is impressive, Sazh," Hope told him, examining a nearby plant. "That orchard at the back though…did it come with the house? Those trees couldn't have grown _that_ fast."

"You've got a good eye, son. All the trees were already here when we moved in. I planted everything else, though."

He gave them a brief tour of the farm, pointing out different fruits and vegetables. Because they were mostly self-sufficient, Sazh rarely needed to visit the nearby town for food, unless they wanted meat or other animal products. But because of this, he and Dajh had not had many opportunities to interact with other people. But one day, they ran into Fang and Vanille in town. Since then, the two "families" had kept in constant touch, visiting each other every weekend.

"I appreciate you comin' all this way," he told them seriously. "And I'm sure Vanille and Fang will, too. You should go see 'em – it's gettin' close to noon, so you'd better set out."

"But we haven't finished catching up yet!" Hope insisted. "There's still so much to talk about…"

"Don't worry about that," Sazh told him with a wave of his hand. "We can catch up at their place. I'll drop by later to pick up Dajh, so I'll see you two then."

Before Hope could interject, he said, "Oh, and you can take the car. I've got another one, anyway. Just…drive carefully," he finished with a wink.

Hope ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed. "You got it."

* * *

After saying their goodbyes, they set off once again, following the directions they had received from Sazh. The drive would be longer this time, but the route seemed more straightforward.

"It was nice seeing you act like a kid again," she told him as they drove along, the wind whipping through her hair yet again. He cast her a sidelong glance, puzzled.

"What do you mean, Light?"

"I meant to say that I got to see a different side to you, too, Hope." She smiled. "You weren't trying to act serious or mature – you really loosened up around Sazh."

"Well, he was always an easy person to talk to," Hope replied, not once glancing away from the road. "He…was like a father to me. To all of us, even during the few years after the Purge, before he vanished. It's hard _not_ to be comfortable around him."

"So…" She hesitated. "Does that mean you're uncomfortable around me?"

He shook his head, his hair fluttering in the wind. "Of course not, Light. That's not true at all."

"So why are you always so serious around me? Why do you try so hard to act your age?"

He did not respond immediately. Then, she saw a faint blush spread across his cheeks. "It's…different when it comes to you, Light."

"How is it different?" She didn't understand – even his reaction didn't make sense. _'Why is he blushing?'_

"I-" He cleared his throat, seemingly bracing himself for the words he was about to say. "I don't need to prove to Sazh that I've matured. He's seen it first-hand. But you…" A pause. "You've only ever seen me as a _kid_ in person."

He took a deep breath and looked her in the eye, if but for a moment. "I-I want to show you that I'm capable of something more. That I'm old enough…and strong enough to protect you now."

Lightning did not respond for a few moments, as she processed his words in her mind. Then, her expression softened. She reached across and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't need to prove anything to me, Hope. I've already seen you accomplish so much during your lifetime, and I know that you're more than capable of protecting me. That is, if we ever need to fight again in this world," she finished with a short laugh.

He let out a soft laugh of his own. "…I guess you're right," he replied, still smiling faintly. Then, he broke eye contact and turned his attention to the road. Satisfied, she looked away from him and watched their surroundings, as she had done before.

_'__All this time he thought I didn't see him as an adult? Well, it sounds like he's convinced now.'_

She did not see the look of disappointment that crossed his face when she looked away.


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm so sorry for taking so long to post this! I wasn't satisfied with many sections as I wrote them, and so it took me a long time to make this chapter publish-worthy. I was writing for a while because I didn't quite know where to stop, and so it resulted in this extra long chapter. So please consider it an apology for making you all wait this long!_

_This chapter is full of monologue, but I also tried to include more Hoperai, in a way. It's just going to get fluffier from here on out, so please look forward to it!_

_Once again, thank you so much for the follows and faves - and a MASSIVE thank you to my reviewers: MidnightFenrir, sillyrabbitp, xviolettx, TheMysteriousGeek2345, wanderlustsea, and kwerk. You guys are amazing, and I'll do my best to post the next chapter as soon as I can._

_Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters._

* * *

Aftermath: Chapter 5

For the next hour, they drove on in silence. Lightning gazed out at the passing fields, but in her mind she continued to contemplate what Hope had said earlier.

_'__I-I want to show you that I'm capable of something more. That I'm old enough…and strong enough to protect you now.'_

Upon hearing those words, her heart had skipped a beat. Simple as they were, they had seemed to imply so much more. She had felt an unfamiliar emotion rising up within her – embarrassment? Had she felt flattered, or was it something else? At that moment, she had convinced herself that she was reading too much into his words, and so she had taken them at face value, replying in kind. He had responded positively to her words, with a smile and a laugh. But now, she was beginning to regret what she had said.

_'__What if he __did__ mean something else? How would I know?'_

Lightning had never been particularly good at reading people. After losing her parents and enlisting in the Guardian Corps, she had begun to see how shallow the world around her really was, and she had gradually found herself drifting away from people and withdrawing further into herself. She had kept interactions with others to a minimum, and not until becoming the Saviour had she ever felt the need to talk to as many people as she could within the span of a day. And even then, she had never taken the effort to get to know people; to read their mannerisms and expressions and try to gauge what they were thinking.

Hope, however, was a different matter altogether. He was more than just 'one of those people' – he was a _friend_, a comrade-in-arms. Her _partner_. She had acknowledged him as such centuries ago, and even more so during Nova Chrysalia's final days. And considering all the time they had spent in each other's company, she had assumed that she would be able to read him better than anyone. After all, he could always tell what _she_ was thinking. Then again, he had always had a knack for perception…

She heaved a sigh and decided to try again, carefully contemplating his earlier reaction. His laugh had been soft, almost forced, and his smile had not reached his eyes. His response afterwards had seemed normal…maybe a little detached. Not to mention how unusually quiet he was being now…

It was suddenly clear to her that she had not interpreted his words correctly.

_'__If that's the case, what did he really mean to say…?'_

The answer was obvious, but she did not want to acknowledge it. She knew that she was being selfish, but she was happy with the way things were now – the camaraderie between them was more than she could have ever expected to have with someone outside her family. She was worried about what would happen to their current relationship if she acknowledged any possible feelings he had for her.

…even if she wasn't sure whether those feelings existed in the first place.

_'__But you aren't just worried about __his__ feelings, are you?'_ a voice taunted from within her mind. And despite her strong urge to refute her mind's claim, she knew that it was true. More often than not, she had caught herself watching him during their journey. And although at first she had assumed it was just because of his older appearance, she knew now that it was not the case. There was something different about him; almost captivating, in a sense. And she had found herself unable to tear her gaze away.

Even now, as she cast him a sidelong glance, she thought about how far they had come together, how lost she would have been if he had not come along with her on this journey. And as they continued to drive on, she tried not to acknowledge the fact that her feelings for him were steadily changing.

* * *

Fang and Vanille's house was situated just off the main road. It was an independent house, located atop a hill, and to most people it would have seemed like it was located in the middle of nowhere. But the height provided a beautiful view of the countryside, and being surrounded by vast fields, it appeared to be the perfect place to set up a petting zoo.

_'__It suits them perfectly,'_ Hope thought to himself as he guided the car into a lane that led directly to their doorstep. He parked the car and chanced a look at Lightning, but she still appeared to be immersed in her thoughts.

He sighed softly. Ever since their last conversation, it seemed like she had been silently re-evaluating what he had said. If she had been restless during the drive, he had not noticed it; in an attempt to distract himself, he had chosen to concentrate fully on the road, and their entire drive had been engulfed in a stifling aura of silence.

Hope did not have the words to describe how much he regretted saying those words to Lightning. He realised that, by now, she had probably figured out what he had really meant, and she was probably just trying to come up with the kindest way to turn him down.

When had his feelings for her evolved beyond simple admiration? When had his desire to bring back the most important women in his life, evolved into a desire to protect Lightning, and Lightning only? He slowly sifted through centuries' worth of memories, finally remembering the day when Serah and Noel had left to confront Caius.

_Vanille and Fang were safe, now that he knew that their crystals had been extracted from the pillar. But Lightning…she was still trapped in a realm outside of time; a realm she could not leave, no matter how strong her desire. If anything happened to her, there would be nothing he could do to protect her. He contemplated this as he awaited his friends' return from Valhalla, hoping that they would be able to bring her back somehow. _

_Everything that happened after that was a blur. Noel and Serah returned victorious after their battle with Caius, landing safely on Sazh's airship. But their happiness was short-lived; not long after their arrival, Serah had a vision of the future, and it killed her. By the time he managed to get to them, she was already dead._

_The future, their plan…it was all falling apart right before his eyes. Beside him, Noel clutched Serah's lifeless body to his own, while he chose to stand in silence. The shock of her death still weighed heavily upon both of them. He felt powerless, helpless to stop the Chaos that was steadily flooding into the world. But when his gaze finally landed upon the familiar temple ruins materialising in the distance, he felt a glimmer of hope stir within his heart._

_'__Valhalla is merging with this world. Lightning…if she's still there, she could help us.' His heart began to race at the mere thought of seeing her again. He boarded an airship at once and took off for the ruins, praying that he would find her alive._

_But what he finally found was far from what he had expected – Lightning was seated upon the Goddess Etro's throne, locked in an eternal crystal sleep. Upon seeing her crystallized form, he fell to his knees._

_'__I wanted to bring you back…more than anything…but not like this.'_

Hope shook his head to clear away the memories. He glanced at the woman beside him and smiled. She was here now, _alive_, and after all that they had been through, that was all that mattered. This Lightning was different from the soldier he had admired as a child. The confident, untouchable soldier suddenly seemed more hesitant and vulnerable – likely a side-effect of her accepting her childhood self. But it did not change the way he felt about her; rather, his desire to protect her and be by her side had only grown stronger now that he had realised that he was capable of doing so.

But he was afraid. If she recognised his feelings and began to distance herself from him, he would never be able to forgive himself – their bond meant more to him than anything. And there was still the fact that he was hiding something from her; something that he knew would _definitely_ destroy their current relationship, even if his feelings for her did not. He did not want to hide anything from _Lightning_, of all people, and yet he could not bring himself to tell her the truth.

_'__If she ever found out, she would hate me for sure.'_

* * *

"We're here, Light."

Hope's words pulled Lightning out of her thoughts. She looked in his direction and saw that he was standing beside the car, waiting for her. "Right. Sorry," she replied, fumbling with her seatbelt and getting out of the car. He had already turned away and started walking towards the house, so she smoothed down the folds in her shirt and made to follow him.

She caught up to him easily, and they soon fell into stride. "It's your turn to ring the doorbell this time," she said lightly. Hope did not miss the teasing tone in her voice – she sounded unexpectedly casual, and it did not seem like she was making a conscious effort to avoid him. He briefly wondered if she had noticed his indirect confession at all.

_'__I guess she was just thinking about something else on the way here.' _He heaved a mental sigh of relief. _'Looks like I was worried for nothing.'_

When they finally reached the front porch, Hope stepped forward and rang the doorbell. Almost instantly, they heard sock-clad feet running over floorboards, and within moments, Vanille's face greeted them at the door.

As soon as she set her eyes on Hope, her smile grew and she flung her arms around his neck. His younger self would have stood in place, unresponsive, but he gladly returned the hug, going so far as to lift her a few inches off the ground with a triumphant laugh. Vanille let out a shocked squeak that gradually dissolved into laughter as he quickly set her down.

Lightning watched the exchange with a small smile on her face. The enthusiastic reunion distantly reminded her of Serah and Snow when they had finally found each other in this world. She, on the other hand, had only hugged them both briefly, and no more than that. Enthusiastic greetings had always been far from her comfort zone.

_'__I wonder if I could ever be that close to anyone…'_ The thought crossed her mind, and she let out a soft sigh. She continued to watch as Hope and Vanille's laughter finally died down.

"You're taller than me now!" Vanille exclaimed. She raised her hand and moved to compare their heights, and he chuckled again.

"Taller and _older_, too," he clarified with a smile, pushing her arm away. "I'm technically the second-eldest in the group now."

"Not if you count our years in crystal! Fang and I are practically relics!" They both shared another laugh, and Vanille stepped out onto the porch, glancing around. "So, is it just you? Or are Snow and Lightning with you as well?"

"Just Light," he replied, turning to glance at the woman standing behind him, before moving aside. Lightning gave him a questioning look, but he simply nodded, and she took that as her cue to step forward.

"It's…good to see you again, Vanille," she said, with a shy smile and a small wave. The younger girl let out a gasp. She hesitated slightly, before throwing all caution to the wind and wrapping her arms around the former soldier. Lightning stood rigidly in place, unsure of how to respond.

"Thank you Lightning…for everything," she heard the girl whisper into her shoulder, and she finally understood. The Soulsong…if Lightning and Fang had not intervened, it would have resulted in Vanille sacrificing her life for a futile cause. With a soft sigh, she loosened up and placed an arm around the younger girl's shoulders.

"Don't worry about it," she said, making no effort to hide the smile in her voice. "I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

"What's all the fuss about Vani – oh." A familiar voice interrupted the reunion, and Fang came into view at the doorway. "Well, look who it is! Sunshine and the kid, in the flesh!"

Before Hope could open his mouth to protest, Fang interrupted him. "Well, I suppose you aren't a kid anymore, are ya?" She gave him a wink and a pat on the back, and he responded with a bashful grin.

"Well, what're you all standin' out here for? Come on in!" The dark-haired woman gestured them over with a wave of her hand, turning to allow them room to enter the house.

A smile played upon Lightning's lips. "You haven't changed at all, Fang," she said as she walked up the front steps. Hope and Vanille entered the house first, but when she drew closer, Fang slung an arm around her shoulders, holding her back for a moment.

"Can't say the same 'bout you, Light-bug. You seem…different. _Softer_."

Lightning raised an eyebrow at her choice of words, but Fang did not bother to elaborate. She continued to usher them all into the entrance hall, closing the door behind them.

The inside of the house was bright and full of plant life – _'Probably Vanille's idea'_, Hope and Lightning thought in unison. The two women paused to have a brief conversation, and Lightning took a moment to take in their attire. Vanille wore a bright tank top and skirt, while Fang sported a purple t-shirt and knee-length shorts. _'It looks like they didn't have any trouble adapting to this new world,' _she wondered as Vanille ducked into the kitchen and Fang led them into the dining room.

Yet another familiar face was seated at the head of the table. "We've got some guests, Dajh," Fang called out, and the boy glanced up from what he was doing. "You might recognise 'em."

His gaze landed on Lightning and his smile grew wide. "Auntie Lightning!" he exclaimed. "Thanks for helping me back in the Wildlands!"

_'__People keep thanking me today…I don't understand why.'_ "It was your dad who did the _real_ work. You should be thanking _him_, instead."

The boy thought for a moment. "But you were the one who helped my daddy…so he should be thanking you, too!"

She remembered the gratitude in Sazh's eyes and words when she had brought him the fragments of his son's soul, and shook her head. "He doesn't need to."

Then, Dajh noticed the man standing behind Lightning. "Hope's here too!" he exclaimed, and Hope grinned in response.

"Hey, if you're calling Light 'Auntie Lightning', don't I get to be 'Uncle Hope'?" he teased. "After all, I'm older than her, and _way_ older than you now."

Dajh tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…you're more like…older brother Hope," he replied after a moment. Hope chuckled and moved to stand next to the boy's chair.

"I've never had a little brother, so I guess that works too." He leaned forward and watched as Dajh continued to add colour to his drawing. "What're you working on?"

"It's a chocobo!" the boy exclaimed, holding up the drawing for the rest of the room's occupants to see. Fang nodded, an impressed grin on her face, and Lightning smiled. "Daddy says this world doesn't have any chocobos, but I guess horses are cool, too."

The dark-haired woman walked up to them and ruffled Dajh's hair. "That's right! And we're gonna get you a great big horse soon, aren't we?"

He nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah!"

At that moment, Vanille peeked into the room. "Lunch is ready! I'll bring it in."

* * *

As they ate, the friends recounted their experiences upon arriving in the new world. Fang and Vanille told them about how they had found themselves at a different town – Galbana, it was called – and had looked for jobs there. Vanille's outgoing personality had earned her a position as a clerk at an antique store, while Fang had helped out with deliveries. And before finding a home for themselves, they had lived with the shop owner and her family.

"Y'know, for a place this big, this house was actually pretty cheap," Fang told them. "I'm guessin' it was the location. That, and it was a wreck when we first saw it. Either way, it didn't take us more than a few months to save up for it."

"It took a long time to clean this place up," Vanille added. "Everything was a mess. But we did a pretty good job, huh?"

Lightning looked around the room and nodded. "It looks great…but I wonder if this place is too big for just the two of you."

"Well, if Sazh was telling the truth about that petting zoo, I'd say they have more than enough room for it here," Hope offered. Fang let out a laugh in response.

"That started out as a joke! This one-" She jerked her thumb in Vanille's direction. "-was always buying tiny critters from the pet store in town. Before I realised it, we had a room full of 'em. So we decided we might as well make somethin' of it."

"The room isn't even full yet, Fang! There's just two or three…" Vanille replied with a pout. She then stood up and turned to Lightning. "C'mon, I'll show you," she said, latching on to the former soldier's arm and dragging her out of her seat, leading them deeper into the house. Hope and Fang chuckled in unison at Lightning's shocked expression before she disappeared around the corner.

"Should we follow them?" he asked after a few moments.

The dark-haired woman nodded, rising from her seat. "Might as well."

* * *

Vanille opened a door to reveal a room containing various large tanks and boxes. Stepping inside, she led them all towards a tall tank in the corner of the room.

"This is Hecaton," she said cheerily, pointing at a large tarantula inside the tank, partially buried in sand. "I called him that because he reminded me of my Eidolon."

Hecaton's legs twitched to indicate movement, and both Hope and Lightning cringed simultaneously. Beside them, Fang smirked.

"Ooh, you guys should see this one, too!" Vanille hurried over to a large box situated by the window, with a tall lamp suspended over it. They followed her and peered inside to see a small tortoise slowly making its way across the box floor.

"Here's Alexander," she said, gently picking up the creature and holding it out for them to see. "I liked him because he was so sturdy and serious. Like your Eidolon, Hope."

Hope glanced between Vanille and the tortoise in her hands. "A _tortoise_…reminded you of my Eidolon?"

She giggled. "I know it's silly, but it's true."

He tentatively reached out and touched its shell. It was smooth and solid under his fingertips, and he was briefly reminded of the times he had climbed aboard Alexander in his Gestalt mode.

"I think…I understand," he said softly.

"There was a gorgeous iguana at the store, too! But Fang didn't let me get it…"

"That thing was huge!" the older woman snapped in response. "And it would've been a pain to take care of, what with its eating habits and-"

As Fang and Vanille continued to bicker, Lightning began to tune out the rest of their conversation. She turned to Hope, who was now cradling the tortoise in his hands. She saw the look of awe in his eyes as he observed the creature, and it filled her heart with warmth.

Almost as though he could sense her eyes on him, he turned to meet her gaze. "Here, try holding him," he said with a smile, and she reached for Alexander with some hesitation. As she took the tortoise from his hands, their fingers brushed, and she felt that familiar warmth again. Her cheeks grew hot and she fought to suppress a blush, focusing instead on the creature in her hands. It looked up at her curiously, and she wondered why it had not made an attempt to struggle out of her hold yet.

"He's a sweetheart, isn't he?" Vanille's words cut through her thoughts. "Someday he'll grow big and strong, and he won't need our support anymore."

Lightning's eyes widened. _'It sounds almost as though she's talking about-' _

Her gaze automatically landed on Hope again. He had his back to her, and she watched as he and Fang shared a laugh over a joke she had not heard. Realisation hit her as she watched his shoulders shake with laughter; taller, broader shoulders that were slowly growing more and more familiar.

_'__All this time, I've been seeing him as a kid who suddenly grew up. But in reality, he's been an adult all along. He's my equal – no, he surpassed me long ago.'_

Centuries ago, she had been his mentor. But somewhere along the way, their roles had been reversed and _he_ had become the one pushing _her_ along, supporting her with a smile on his face. And before long, she had found herself trusting in him and his decisions. It had been months since she had last seen him, since they had defeated Bhunivelze, but the day they had spent together had made her realise how much she had missed him.

_'__He's done so much for me already, but I…I'm so useless in this world...'_

All Lightning had ever been good at was fighting, but now that her skills were no longer required, she had found herself relying heavily on the people around her. Serah had picked up on the technology fast after getting her teaching job, and even without his powers, Snow still had his brute strength. And Hope…he could drive, was a better navigator than she could ever be, and he understood her better than anyone else did. But she had nothing to offer him in return.

'_It was a mistake. How could I have thought that he could…love me? I…could never deserve someone like him.'_

Although it had been her initiative to seek out their friends, she would have gotten nowhere without Hope. She had needed his guidance as the Saviour, and now, she depended on his support even more. He was caring, always concerned for her well-being...his presence was reassuring, and his smile never failed to fill her with happiness. Suddenly, she realised that she could not imagine a world without him by her side.

She raised a trembling hand to touch her cheek, feeling the growing warmth under her fingertips.

_'Is this what it feels like…to be in love?'_

* * *

_For those who aren't aware, Galbana is a reference to Galbana lilies from FFXII - Vaan's brother's favourite flower._

_Alexander being reincarnated as a tortoise is something I saw on Tumblr, and I thought it was cute, so I decided to include a reference to it. I did some research on tarantula and tortoise care while writing the pet segment, but if anything is incorrect, I apologise in advance. I am aware that tortoises generally don't like being held, but considering Alexander's sturdiness and calm demeanour, I assume he wouldn't mind much._

_Please do let me know what you think!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Some everyday shenanigans, angst, and fluff in this chapter! There are some sections I'm still not completely satisfied with, and I might actually come back and revise them later on. I apologise for the long wait, and once again, I hope this super-long chapter can somehow make up for it!_

_A massive thank you to those who have faved and followed this fic during my absence - I hope you're enjoying the story so far! And thank you to all those who dropped reviews: MidnightFenrir, Guest No.1 (thank you! I'm glad the romance is working out so far, and all the characters' interactions were really fun to write so I'm really glad you enjoyed them!), TheMysteriousGeek2345, ultima-terra, Cissmoll, sironhisaki (thank you so much!), kwerk, and xxviolettxx (that's alright! Thank you for following my story up until now, and I'll continue to do my best!)_

_Seriously, every review, follow and fave I get on this story brings a smile to my face, because I never really expected so many people to enjoy it. Thank you all so, so much._

_Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters._

* * *

Aftermath: Chapter 6

Vanille observed Lightning's reaction to her words with a small smile on her face. On the outside, the former soldier's expression was neutral, but she could see the turmoil brewing in her friend's icy blue eyes. When Lightning finally raised her hand to her face, Vanille knew that she had realised her feelings, and her smile only grew wider.

The redhead was a self-proclaimed expert at reading emotions – it was a skill she had practiced while growing up in Oerba, and she had taken to trying it on her friends during their journey as l'Cie. Snow had been the easiest to read with his endless enthusiasm. Sazh and Hope had not been far behind – the former had exuded an aura of grudging acceptance, while the latter had often grown close to falling into despair. Fang, of course, had always been by her side, so Vanille had never had trouble understanding her. But Lightning had been a tough case, never letting her emotions show.

Comparing the Lightning of those days to the woman standing before her now, she could hardly believe the difference. Her emotions were reflected in her eyes and her posture, and it made Vanille wonder what had changed to make her so vulnerable.

Her smile faded when she saw Lightning avert her gaze and turn away. _'Something's wrong…'_ she wondered, but before she could ask, there was a soft knock on the room door. A moment later, Dajh stepped in.

"Someone's at the door," he said simply, and Vanille gave him an apologetic smile. The boy had been very quiet at lunchtime, and they had almost forgotten that he was there. The others turned around and acknowledged his presence as well – Vanille cast a sidelong glance at Lightning, but her guarded expression had already returned.

"Sorry 'bout that, Dajh," Vanille said cheerily, walking up to the boy and taking him by the hand. "It's my fault we got distracted, huh? Let's go get the door."

He nodded, and the two of them headed out into the hallway. "I'll clean up!" Fang called after them, before turning to her two guests.

"That kid has trouble fittin' in at school," she told them, bitterness creeping into her tone. "He's smarter than the rest, so they don't treat him too well." She heaved a sigh. "Sad, ain't it? Sazh brings him over on Sundays, and we spend some time with him, but he's gettin' to be real quiet. It ain't fun being pushed away by people who're supposed to be your friends, y'know?"

Lightning knew the pain of being isolated all too well, despite having forced it on herself. She looked at Hope and saw the pained expression in his eyes. It was clear that he had experienced it as well, though she didn't know when. _'How is it that I know so little about him?'_

After a moment of silence, they headed out.

* * *

A friendly face greeted them at the front door – as promised, Sazh had decided to drop by. He held a large box in one hand as he attempted to take his boots off with the other.

"Need a hand?" Hope offered as he drew closer. Sazh looked up at him and smiled.

"Sure, kid. Take care of this for me." He carefully handed the box to Hope, who expected his arms to sag with the weight. Instead, the box was light and felt like it only contained a single, small object.

Sazh stood up to his full height. "Probably wonderin' what's in there, huh?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "Well, you'll find out soon enough."

They gathered in the living room, placing the box on a small coffee table and seating themselves on the sofas surrounding it. Then, Vanille flipped the box open with a small flourish. The object inside turned out to be a small, round vanilla cake. It had been decorated in a simple manner, with a single icing rose, and the words '_Welcome Back'_ scrawled on top in elegant writing.

"I wanted to make somethin' special, so I shooed you two out of the house," Sazh explained. "It ain't the fanciest cake, but I guess it's the thought that counts."

Lightning shook her head. "It's perfect, Sazh. Thank you."

"I just wish the others were here to enjoy it with us," Vanille sighed. "We've all been apart for so long…"

"There, there, Vanille." Fang patted her on the shoulder. "We'll run into them eventually. After all, we know where everyone is now, right?"

She nodded. "Right."

They shared more stories over the next hour, talking and laughing as though they had never been apart. Lightning felt comfortable around these people – her friends, she reminded herself – and she let them do most of the talking. Hearing about their lives was refreshing, in a sense.

But soon enough, it was time for Sazh and Dajh to leave. Fang asked them to stay for dinner, but the man politely declined.

"We've got to get to school early tomorrow," he replied, placing an arm around a sleepy Dajh and lifting him into his arms. The boy snuggled up against his father's shoulder, eliciting a smile from everyone else in the room.

"I think we should head out too," Hope began, taking a step forward, but Fang grabbed him by the collar and tugged him back.

"You two aren't goin' anywhere," she declared. "Sazh lives 'bout an hour away, so I know they'll get home alright, but it'll be pitch dark out soon. These country roads aren't lit too well, and you can barely tell 'em apart at night."

He glanced at Sazh for help, but he nodded his head in agreement. "She's right. You two'd be better off stayin' the night here."

With a sigh, he relented. "Okay…if it isn't too much trouble."

Fang placed an arm on his shoulder. "Why would it be? Sazh, we'll see you two off, and maybe we can even talk about how these two-" She jerked her thumb at Hope, and then at Lightning. "-are gonna get home tomorrow."

The old man grinned. "That's alright with me."

The three of them stepped out onto the front porch. The sun was beginning to set, so after a short discussion about tomorrow's trip back to the Estheim residence, Sazh took their leave. Hope and Fang watched him drive off until his car was nothing more than a speck in the distance.

"We'd better go grab your bags now, huh?" the woman said, lazily swinging her arm around Hope's shoulders again and half-dragging him off the porch and in the direction of the other car parked in the distance. "Besides," she added. "We've got some catchin' up to do!"

He gulped. Somehow, "catching up" was never a good thing when Fang was involved.

* * *

Hope rummaged through the glove compartment, searching for a specific set of keys. He then made his way to the back of the car and unlocked the trunk, all while lost in thought.

_'__Light and I have a bag each, so one trip should be fine…unless Light's bag is heavy. Then again, it seemed pretty small earlier, but she's also stronger than the average person. Ah, that's right…my bag's full of clothes so it might be even heavier-'_

"So, are congratulations in order?"

He blinked, then looked up at Fang, who was already holding the trunk door open so he could get the bags out. "What do you mean?" he asked, genuinely curious.

She huffed. "You 'n' Lightning, of course! The two of you are together now, aren't ya?"

He fumbled with the bag he was holding and blushed furiously. "No we aren't, Fang," he insisted, shaking his head. "I don't know what gave you that idea."

Fang rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, are you kiddin' me? I mean sure, it ain't obvious, but the two of you seem so...I dunno...comfortable together."

"We've always been like that," he replied, heaving both bags onto the ground. "Light and I understand each other really well, and that's all there is between us."

"And besides," he added after a moment's pause. "She could never feel that way about me."

A smirk found its way onto Fang's lips. "Oh, really? And what about you?"

"Me? Well, I...I don't-"

"You love her, don't ya?"

Hope gasped, nearly falling over in shock. Fang leaned over and poked him on the forehead. "So? When'd you figure it out?"

"I...I-" he sputtered, before finally giving up. "I-I'm not even really sure myself."

He sighed. "I guess...we always knew that you and Vanille were safe inside the pillar, but I had no idea where Lightning was. And the longer she stayed gone, the more I realised how...empty my life was without her."

Fang shook her head. "You've got it bad, kid," she said, her grin growing wider. "When do you plan to tell her?"

"I don't."

Her jaw dropped and she stared at him, but he continued. "Things are fine as they are now. She doesn't need to know."

"You're serious?!" Fang found herself getting angry. "If you feel that way about her, she deserves to know!"

"She deserves better!" he exclaimed, slamming the trunk door down. A long silence stretched between them, but neither of them moved.

Finally, Hope spoke again. "I-I'm not right for her. She deserves someone...someone better than me. I know it."

Fang sighed. "Idiot," she said, hitting him lightly on the head with her fist. He flinched and reached up to rub the sore spot with his hands, while she picked up one of the bags and turned to walk back to the house.

Before taking a step forward, she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Whether you're right for her or not, that's up to Lightning to decide," she told him calmly, and walked away, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

* * *

That night, after dinner, the four discussed where Lightning and Hope would sleep. Despite having a large house, there were few bedrooms, and only one spare room was available.

"You can take it, Light," Hope told her. "I'll sleep out here on the couch."

"Our couch is pretty comfy," Vanille chimed in. "I've fallen asleep on it plenty of times. Though the two of you are gonna need some pillows and sheets. Wanna lend me a hand, Lightning?"

Lightning nodded, and the two of them went upstairs, while Hope and Fang stayed back to finish washing the dishes.

Vanille led them to a bedroom and threw open the closet, digging through it and tossing various sheets and cushions onto the nearby bed. Lightning simply crossed her arms and leaned back against a nearby wall, not wanting to get in the way.

"You can help me sort through these," the redhead declared once she was finished, grabbing a pillow cover and stuffing a cushion into it. Lightning sat down at the edge of the bed and, unsure of what to do, began folding some sheets and placing them in a pile.

They continued in the same vein for a while, until she began to grow restless. A single thought had been preying on her mind for a while now, and she felt the uncontrollable urge to talk to someone about it. Vanille seemed like the best choice, and so she took a deep breath.

"Hey, Vanille," she began hesitantly. "What...does love feel like?"

The younger girl chuckled. "Well, that's a tricky one," she replied. "Love comes in all sorts of forms, so it depends on what kind you're talking about."

"Although," she continued, stretching her arms. "To me, love is something that doesn't need to be explained. If you love someone, you just...know."

"But...how can you tell the difference between love and other emotions?" Lightning knew that it was a stupid question, but if Vanille thought so as well, she did not show it. Instead, she merely smiled knowingly.

"Well, if you feel like the other person completes you...when you feel at ease around them, and you can't imagine anyone else by your side, that's when you know."

"But, that's-" She was starting to get confused. "Is it possible to...to feel comfortable and awkward around someone at the same time?"

Another laugh. "Of course!" Vanille replied. "Especially if you think your relationship is changing, and you're still trying to figure things out. You start to feel differently about them, and you still can't be sure if that's a good thing or not."

Lightning heaved a sigh. "I don't know what to do, Vanille. I've never been in a situation like this before...I don't know how to react."

"Just be yourself, Lightning." Without missing a beat, she added, "That's all Hope's ever expected from you, anyway.

She gaped at the younger girl, blushing furiously. "How-how did you...?"

Vanille grinned cheekily. "Oh, I have my ways," she said innocently, pushing herself off the bed and grabbing an armful of pillows. "C'mon, help me carry these downstairs."

Still speechless, she stood up and gathered the folded sheets in her arms. She blindly followed Vanille out of the room, still contemplating the advice she had just received.

_''Be myself', huh?'_

* * *

Lightning could not sleep.

She tossed and turned for a few hours, before giving up altogether and hoisting herself out of the bed. _'Maybe it's the unfamiliar environment…'_ she thought as she paced around the room, trying to rid herself of her restlessness.

Then, she remembered falling asleep on the train – on Hope's shoulder, no less – and she felt her face grow warm.

_'__Okay, so the unfamiliarity isn't the issue.'_

Suddenly, she felt a strong urge to check on him. Sleeping on the couch was definitely not as comfortable as sleeping in a proper bed, and she wanted to make sure that he was okay. Or at least, that was what she told herself as she left the room and descended the stairs, making her way to the living room as quietly as she could.

She peeked into the room and saw him fast asleep on a three-seater sofa by the window. He was curled up on his side, facing the back of the sofa, and the moonlight seeping through the window illuminated his hair, making it look almost snow-white.

Smiling at the scene, Lightning quietly pulled up a chair and placed it so that it was right next to the sofa arm, near his head. She sat down, leaning her head against the wall, and listened as his soft breathing filled the room. It was a soothing, rhythmic sound, and it should have lulled her to sleep, but she remained wide awake, watching her surroundings instead. However, no matter what she looked at, her eyes always came back to Hope.

His face was still turned away from her, partially buried in his arm, and a few strands of hair fluttered around his face as he breathed. She remembered wanting to know what his hair felt like. It was a childish thought, but she would never get another opportunity like this one, to act like the young girl she had never had the chance to be. Slowly, carefully, she reached forward and threaded her fingers through his hair.

It was just as she had expected it to be – soft, almost feathery to the touch. She blushed, realising how ridiculous the situation was, but he did not appear to have noticed, and that raised her confidence slightly.

_'At least he isn't awake to see me acting like a love-struck schoolgirl.'_

She continued to watch him sleep, while absently running her hands through his silvery locks. The expression on his face was serene, and it filled her with a sense of peace. She remained in that position for a long time, until she felt Hope stir beneath her hand. He shifted slightly in his sleep and mumbled something incoherent, and she retracted her hand so as not to disturb him.

Suddenly, his breath began to come in short gasps, and she saw sweat beginning to form on his forehead. It was clear that he was having a nightmare. Worried, Lightning tried to lean over to wake him, but before she could even get the chance, he opened his eyes and his arm shot into the air, almost as though he had been trying to reach for something.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the words died on his lips as he dropped his arm. His breathing began to slow down, and the panicked look in his eyes gradually gave way to a calmer expression.

"…are you alright, Hope?" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself, and her soft voice pulled him out of the stupor he was in. He rolled over and turned his head to glance at her, green eyes widening when he realised that she was not a figment of his imagination.

"Hey, Light," he said, attempting a smile. She noticed that it did not reach his eyes. "I'm fine…just a nightmare, that's all. Couldn't sleep?"

He redirected the conversation with ease, but she refused to take the bait. Not when his situation was clearly worse than hers.

"Tell me about it," she insisted.

Hope shifted so he was sitting upright on the sofa with his legs crossed. "It wasn't that bad, Light, really," he countered, waving it off. But Lightning remained unconvinced, raising an eyebrow in response.

He tried to change the subject yet again. "A-anyway…why'd you come down here?"

Finally, Lightning sighed, knowing that she would not get an answer out of him, no matter how much she tried to pry. "I was restless," she told him honestly, crossing her arms. "Maybe I slept too much on the train."

Hope laughed. "Well, since we're both awake, we might as well…talk?"

She smirked. "Might as well."

For what seemed like the next hour, they spoke about various things, including their lives as children. Lightning told him about how she had been an energetic child, until she had been forced to mature early when her parents passed away. In turn, Hope told her about his childhood friends, Kai and Elida, and that he had been a relatively quiet child, hardly speaking to anyone other than the two of them.

Lightning realised that there was a lot about Hope that she did not know – like the fact that he had tried to learn how to bake when he was eight years old, and that his mother had been the one to tuck him into bed while his father had always made him breakfast in the morning. She wondered how many people knew these facts about his life, aside from his family, and felt grateful that she had gotten the chance to get to know him better.

"The…there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now."

His words caught her attention, and her heart began to beat more rapidly in her chest. _'Could it be…?'_

"What is it?" she asked, making an effort to sound non-committal. Hope let out a breath and cleared his throat, seemingly hesitant to continue.

Finally, he asked, "Do you remember when we were talking at the station?"

The question took her by surprise. She nodded, suddenly unsure of where the conversation was going. Hope looked down at his hands for a moment, before turning to his right and meeting her gaze.

"I want you to be honest with me, Light…when you were talking to me, what did you see in my expression?"

Lightning froze. He was watching her expectantly, and she knew that if she lied, he would see right through it.

"It was…_cold_," she finally told him, the memory of that expression still clear in her mind. "The look in your eyes…it seemed like you were _judging_ me somehow."

"…you were scared of me, weren't you?"

She raised her hands in protest, but he only smiled sadly. "Don't try to deny it, Light. I saw it in your eyes …the fear. Did I imagine it?"

Ashamed, she shook her head and looked away, refusing to face him. Had she hurt him by telling him the truth? Before she could dwell on it further, he began to speak again. She anticipated pain in his voice and his words, but it did not come. Neither did he try to reassure her – instead, what he said next was far from what she had expected to hear.

"It's true, then. What my colleagues have been saying." He swallowed, and she glanced up at him, confusion evident in her gaze. He continued. "Sometimes, when I think my expression is neutral, people say they've seen…something, in my eyes. Something cold and unforgiving. It's made people feel like I've stared into their very _souls_."

He paused. "Was it the same with you?" he asked, and she shivered involuntarily, remembering the look in his eyes all too well. That was enough of an answer for Hope, and he let out a sigh.

"I-I think-" he began tentatively. "For so long, I was one with…with Bhunivelze's consciousness. He _tortured_ me, Light." There was a pleading in his gaze, like he was begging her to understand. "And even after you saved me…s-sometimes, I think a part of Him still lives on inside me."

His hands were trembling in his lap. "It scares me to think that…even after all this time, He could still exist inside my soul. There was a point when I couldn't tell where my consciousness ended and His began. If I'm still…still like that, then I could be a danger to us all."

"Is that what your nightmares are about?" After having been stunned into silence, Lightning finally found her voice. Her words sounded colder than she had intended them to, and she felt guilt threatening to overtake her when he nodded hesitantly.

"S-sometimes, yeah," he admitted. "But those aren't the worst ones. In my nightmares, I tell you the truth. And you-" He squeezed his eyes shut. "You push me away, or look at me like…like you _hate_ me, or you're afraid of me. And this time…you turned around and walked away from me without a word. I tried reaching for you, calling your name, but you wouldn't look back. That's when I woke up."

"The truth is, I–I'm afraid. I don't want to lose you. That's why I kept this from you. Every time you push me away and I wake up…" He raised a hand and pressed it against his heart. "It hurts, Light. It hurts so much."

Once again, she found herself rendered speechless. _'All this time, he was hiding this from me...' _

Her heart ached for him – he had bared his soul, leaving himself totally vulnerable, and she wanted to reach out and wrap her arms around his shoulders, to tell him that everything would be alright.

But she held back.

"You're not Him," she began, and he looked up at her. The sheer hopelessness in his eyes was unbearable, but she willed herself to continue.

"Bhunivelze is gone, and he will never take control of you again. But even…even if it turns out to be true, I'll help you find a way to vanquish him for good. I won't abandon you, Hope."

She tried to keep her voice steady, but it cracked slightly when she said his name. "I won't, because I…"

Centuries of sleeping in crystal had left her blind to the state of the world. She had seen it with her own eyes when she had awakened, but she had neglected to see the suffering of the one person who had remained by her side until the end of days.

"Because I abandoned you once already," she said, casting her gaze downwards and biting her lower lip. "And I won't allow it to happen again. This time, I'll stay by your side."

When she gathered the courage to look at him again, she saw his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He still seemed so unsure of himself; far from the confident man she had been relying on all day. _'Do all his nightmares leave him like this?'_

Without a second thought, she leaned forward and placed her hand against his cheek, bringing his forehead to rest against hers. His cheeks reddened at their close proximity, and she could feel her own face heating up as well, no doubt mirroring his.

"…why?" he managed to choke out, and a single tear slid down his cheek. "I-I don't…"

"My mother used to do this for Serah," she explained softly. "She said it chased the nightmares away. I never believed it, but…I'm willing to try it, if it'll help you."

He met her gaze, and she saw the gratitude there as he managed a small smile. They remained that way for a while, their foreheads pressed together, and she could feel his quiet breaths fanning out against her cheek.

Then, he closed his eyes and brought his face closer to hers. Her heart began to race as he moved his head past her face, his cheek brushing against hers for a brief moment, and rested his chin on her shoulder. Shyly, he raised an arm and wrapped it around her, bringing her closer to him.

"Thank you, Light," he whispered, his voice still trembling with emotion. Wordlessly, she returned the hug, looping her arms around his neck. Their last hug had been brief, and she had pushed herself away from him as fast as she could. Thinking back on it now, she could not fathom why. She felt warm in his arms; warm, and loved. And as she relaxed in his tentative embrace, she found herself whispering three simple words:

"Call me Claire."

* * *

_I wanted to try a slightly different angle with Hope's insecurity. Rather than the fear of becoming Bhunivelze again, I think the fear of being pushed away by his comrades would prey more heavily upon his mind. Plus, after the release of that epilogue novel, it's even more clear how much he values Lightning, and being rejected by her of all people would surely hurt more than anything else._

_Not much else to say here this time around, but please do drop a review if you can! I appreciate the feedback!_


	7. Chapter 7

_This was a quick update, mostly because I'd written most of this chapter while on vacation. Consider it an attempt to make up for my previous super-late updates!_

_A huge thank you to those who reviewed: Guest (thanks, and here it is! :D), Justabite (unfortunately Dajh won't be featured in this fic any more :c But you could go check out my one-shot "Concealed Interests" for a story that talks more about his issue! And thank you for the review!), and Guest No. 1 (your review made me smile - thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and I'm happy to know you liked how I portrayed Hope's 'problem'. I really appreciate your support! :3)_

_And thanks to all those who are following and have faved Aftermath - not far to go now!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters._

* * *

Aftermath: Chapter 7

The next morning, Lightning awoke to an incessant prodding. Or rather, she was shaken awake as her chair was repeatedly nudged by someone's foot.

"Wake up, Sunshine," a voice sang, and she forced her eyes open, only to be met by Fang's all-knowing smirk. Groaning, she sat up straight, noticing a dull pain in her joints from having fallen asleep in such an awkward position.

"You had your own room 'n' everything, and you still couldn't stay away from him, could ya?"

Lightning stood up and gave her a weak glare. "It's too early in the morning for this, Fang," she said, stretching briefly before taking a look around the room. The couch where Hope had been sleeping was now empty, and she could hear the sounds of people moving through the house. Clearly she was the last one to wake up.

"Where's Hope?" she asked, as off-handedly as she could manage. But that did not stop Fang from grinning at her.

"He's makin' us breakfast," she replied, glancing in the direction of the kitchen. "He seemed awfully chipper this morning. You two must've had some night."

Lightning groaned again. "Don't get any ideas. We just talked, that's all."

"Defensive, aren't we?" The dark-haired woman shot her another grin. "Anyway, whatever it was, it worked."

"...what do you mean?"

Fang's smile softened. "When I spoke to the kid yesterday, he seemed pretty down. If talkin' to you managed to cheer him up, I'm glad to hear it."

Her words made Lightning's expression grow contemplative. She recalled their conversation from last night all-too-well.

_"Call me Claire."_

_He pulled away to look her in the eye. "W-what? Really?" he asked, surprised._

_She laughed softly. "I'd say it's about time everyone started calling me that. Though you'll be one of the first."_

_"...Claire." He said her name slowly, hesitantly, and she blushed. It had been a long time since anyone had called her by her real name, and she liked how it sounded in his voice._

_"Y-yeah, that's right," was the only response she could manage without sounding as flustered as she felt. Luckily, he did not appear to notice as he gave her a broad smile. Then, he let out a yawn, and clapped a hand over his mouth, embarrassed._

_She could not help but smirk. "You should probably go back to sleep," she told him. "I'll head back upstairs so I don't disturb you-"_

_"Wait," he interrupted, grabbing her sleeve as she made to stand up. "Would you mind...staying for a while? Just a few more minutes..."_

_He appeared to be pleading with his eyes; it had been centuries since she had last seen him this vulnerable. With a sigh, she leaned back against the chair again, and gave him a small, reassuring smile._

_"Sure."_

_"Thank you Light-I mean, Claire," he said, quickly correcting his mistake. He made to lie down again, but not before adding, "I'm sorry for being so much trouble."_

_She shook her head. "After everything you've done for me, it's the least I can do."_

_"I should be the one saying that," she heard him chuckle softly. Then, in a few moments, the room was silent, filled only with the sound of his breathing._

_"I might even sleep better here," she whispered to herself, staring up at the ceiling. "It reminds me of my days in the Corps."_

And sleep well she did. Despite the ache she felt in her shoulders as she made her way to the kitchen, Lightning truly believed that the sleep she had gotten last night had been some of the best she had had in a long time. The only other instance was her nap on the train the previous morning, which had also been in his presence...

For a brief moment, she wondered whether Hope, being the only common factor, was the reason for her restful sleep, before dismissing the thought with a quick blush.

_'I really hope I'm not in __that__ deep...'_

* * *

Breakfast was a relatively leisurely affair. Despite it being a Monday, Fang and Vanille did not need to go into town until later that day, and Hope had already notified his colleagues that he would be taking the day off. Once they were done eating, they went over the directions that Sazh had given them yesterday before leaving.

"Don't worry about the car, I'll come pick it up next weekend or something," he had told Hope casually, and the two of them had worked out some kind of convoluted arrangement which had seemed ridiculous to Lightning at the time.

"We could just take the train again," she had suggested, but the older man had insisted that they drive, stating that it would be "easier this way".

_'Men...I'll never understand how their minds work,'_ she thought, even now as Hope and Fang pored over the instructions Sazh had scribbled onto a notepad. The former was trying to draw out their path on a map according to the notes, while the latter simply watched, stretching lazily on occasion.

Eventually, they (or rather he) got the job done, and Lightning and Hope prepared to set out. They would drive to Hope's parents' house, where they would then switch over to his car and drive into town. Lightning guessed that she would be able to guide him to her house through photographic memory alone, and hoped that her theory would hold even later on.

"Come visit again!" Vanille told them cheerily as they stood on the doorstep, ready to leave. "I should have some nice new creatures to show you next time!"

Fang lightly bumped her on the head with her fist in a teasing gesture. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, eh?"

The two Pulsian women stood on the porch and waved as Hope started up the engine. Lightning turned to face them from the passenger seat and waved back.

_'It might take a while...' _she thought as they drove off. _'But I'm sure we'll see them again soon.'_

* * *

It seemed like every trip they took together was destined to have a completely different vibe.

Their train journey had been neutral, as they had still been reacquainting themselves with each other. Their walk to the repair shop had been casual, yet riddled with dark undertones as the memory of their conversation at the station had still been preying on her mind. Their drive to Sazh's house had seen them bickering slightly as they had constantly found themselves getting lost, while they had been silent and slightly awkward on their way to meet Fang and Vanille.

_'But this drive,'_ Lightning thought to herself, _'is just plain ridiculous.'_

For what felt like the umpteenth time in the last fifteen minutes, Hope shoved the map in her face. "It's the second left, then straight at the crossroads," he corrected her with one hand on the steering wheel - a habit that she still found remotely annoying. "My lines aren't that badly drawn, are they?"

She huffed. "The lines aren't the trouble; I can't read all the stupid comments you've written down, and you've made too many corrections. These roads are small enough as it is."

Hope let out a laugh. "Not used to being the navigator, are you?"

"...not really." She relented. "Thirteen days were long enough for me to get used to you doing all the hard work for me."

"We'll fix that, don't worry," he replied casually, still looking straight ahead, but she could see a hint of a smile playing upon his lips.

His words made Lightning wonder whether she could expect to go on more trips with Hope in the future. Travelling to distant places, learning new things...the idea didn't sound too bad at all, and she found herself saying, "I'll hold you to that."

The rest of their trip was full of laughter and almost-playful banter as the two of them passed the map back and forth in what had eventually become some kind of game. It amazed Lightning to see the myriad of emotions he brought out in her. Despite living with them for so long, Serah and Snow had been unable to awaken the inner child that lay dormant within her after her reunion with Lumina; yet, Hope had managed to accomplish that within just a day.

She shoved the map into his hands again with a laugh, and took a moment to observe his reaction. His expression was one of mock annoyance as he struggled to maintain his grip on the steering wheel; yet, his eyes were full of mirth, and a wide grin stretched across his face. It was the first time she had seen him this happy in a long time, and she hoped that it would not be the last.

When they finally arrived at the Estheim residence, it was many hours past noon. Considering how much they had been messing around in the car, Lightning thought it was miraculous that they had managed to make it this far in one piece. They were still chuckling as they walked up the front path and rang the doorbell.

Although it was long past lunch time, Nora Estheim welcomed them in with open arms and a well-laden table. When Hope ran upstairs to pack the rest of his things, Lightning found herself in a conversation with his mother.

"I hope my son hasn't been too much of a burden," Nora said politely, and she shook her head.

"No; in fact, he's been quite the opposite." She smiled; a smile full of gratitude. "I wouldn't have been able to find the others without his help."

After a moment's silence, she softly added, "Actually, I'm going to miss him. We just spent a day together, but it was like we'd never been separated. Hope's presence has always been reassuring...and I'll miss that."

Nora gave her a soft, knowing smile, and Lightning blushed when she realised that her words and tone of voice had practically given her feelings away. Instead of disapproving, however, the white-haired woman leaned forward and patted her on the shoulder.

"He always spoke about you most, you know. When we first arrived in this world." Nora's eyes sparkled with an unidentified emotion. "If it's what you want, stay by his side. I think-no, I _know_ it'll make him happy."

At that moment, the man in question entered the room, a suitcase in each hand. "Ready to go, Lig-Claire?" He chuckled sheepishly. "I guess it's going to take me a while to get used to that."

Lightning stood up. "Alright, let's get going," she replied, and then turned to look at Nora once again. "Thank you," she whispered, and the woman grinned back, acknowledging the secret they now shared.

"Once we hit the town, there's a place I want to stop by first," she told him as they made their way to Hope's car.

He cast her a sidelong glance. "Where's that?"

Lightning smiled enigmatically. "You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

Only a couple of hours had passed when they finally reached the outskirts of the city of New Academia. The town that Lightning lived in was more akin to a suburban portion of the city, and she gave him directions that had him weaving between various houses and past a series of shops and pedestrians.

"You haven't gotten us lost again, have you Claire?" he asked distantly, eyes still focused on the volatile condition of the streets. Had his face not been completely serious, she would have been forced to fight the urge to punch him in the arm.

Instead, she held back and said, "I know where we're going. Just trust me."

Finally, they arrived at a small flower shop in a back alley. Hope gave her a confused look as she got out of the car and walked over to the front door. A set of chimes jingled as she pushed the door open, and he fumbled with his seatbelt so he could follow.

Inside was a surprisingly large assortment of pre-arranged bouquets and individual flowers. They seemed to fill the shop to the brim, allowing just enough space for the two of them to walk around, and the air was accented by a sweet aroma.

"This place is amazing…" he whispered, slightly in awe. "How did you find it?"

He turned to Lightning for an answer, but she simply smiled again. Before he could open his mouth to retort, they heard the sound of a back door opening, and a familiar brunet walked into the room.

"Welcome to Yeul's – can I help you with any-" The words died on the man's lips when he saw exactly who had entered the store, and his face split into a grin.

"Lightning! Welcome back!" He walked around the counter to shake her hand, then placed his hands on his hips. "Looks like you managed to find Hope too, huh? Where was he hiding out, anyway? Under a rock? Or probably buried in a pile of books."

"Very funny, Noel," Hope said with an exasperated sigh, holding out an arm to shake the younger man's hand. "Still, it's good to see you again. Somehow I've missed your sense of humour."

Noel raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't joking," he insisted, returning the handshake. He then turned to Lightning. "So, did you come here for the usual, or are you just visiting?"

"Just visiting," she affirmed. "We were in the area, so we thought we'd drop by. Where's Yeul?"

As if on cue, most likely because she had been listening to the conversation thus far, a blue-haired girl stepped out of the back room. She smiled widely when she laid her eyes on the rose-haired woman. "Welcome back, Lightning," she said, clasping her hands behind her back. "It's good to see you again."

Hope stepped forward politely. "I don't think we met. Hope Estheim," he offered, holding out a hand to her as well. She shook it and smiled up at him.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Hope. Lightning and Noel have told me a lot about you."

His cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. "Good things, I assume?"

Yeul nodded. "Of course," she replied, a secretive smile on her lips. Unsure of what her expression meant, he glanced up at the other two occupants of the room – Lightning just shook her head, and Noel made a strange face. He shot them both a glare, but they only responded with a smile and a short laugh respectively.

The two of them did not stay long, but they made the most of their time. While Noel and Hope caught up on each other's' lives, Lightning had a brief conversation with Yeul.

"He's the one, isn't he?" the girl asked softly, twirling a single daisy between her fingers. "The one you spoke so much about – the one you wanted to see again."

"I wanted to see everyone again," Lightning countered, a blush forming on her cheeks. "But…you're right. I went to visit him first."

Their conversation was interrupted for a moment when they heard Hope exclaim in response to something Noel had said. They made a comical sight as the white-haired man choked on his own breath, while the brunet fought to suppress his laughter.

Yeul smiled fondly as she watched the exchange. "It could be my intuition as a Seeress, or perhaps I could tell from your expressions, but I feel that the two of you should not be separated. You seem to depend on each other."

"I depend on _him_, that much is for sure," the older woman replied with a smile. The blue-haired girl shook her head.

"He relies on you as well, and he has for a long, long time."

Yeul's words took her by surprise, and she remained silent as she took in the last of the girl's advice.

"No matter what happens…speak what is in your heart, and do not let him go."

* * *

The Farron-Villiers residence was not situated far from the flower shop, and it only took a few minutes until she was home. Hope parked his car at the end of the driveway.

"I'll see you off," he insisted, and the two of them walked up to the front door side-by-side. With each step, Lightning began to realize that she had come to the end of her journey. Before long, she would return to her old routine, and Hope would go back to his job. It was not likely that they would meet again anytime soon, and Yeul's words clearly rang through her mind. She still did not completely understand what they meant, and yet, they had left her feeling as though something would happen very soon.

Just then, Hope stopped in his tracks. "Ah, that's right – Noel asked me to give this to you."

He reached into the bag he had brought from the flower shop – a last-minute gift from Noel and Yeul – and pulled out a single, red rose, offering it to her. She took it from his outstretched hand and stroked the petals carefully.

"I didn't think he associated me with something this delicate," she joked as she looked at it, partially in awe.

"I think I might know why," he offered casually. "He first met you in Valhalla, and you must've summoned Odin at least once, right?" When she nodded, he said, "Those floating rose petals probably had quite an impact on him."

She smiled. "I really don't think they were _that_ impressive."

Hope shook his head. "Oh, but they were. Even when I saw them when you first summoned Odin, all those years ago. Back then...I-I thought you seemed beautiful," he said bashfully.

Lightning's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment, and she broke his gaze to stare at the ground.

"I-it wasn't just how you looked!" he added quickly, sounding flustered. "Even during battles, you always seemed so calm and graceful. Back then, I told myself, 'I want to become that strong someday,' and so, I decided to follow you. Looking back on it now, it was a childish thought...but it was also the best decision I ever made."

"N-not really," she stammered – the shock from his previous confession was still wearing off. "I was a terrible mentor. All I did was teach you how to fight and chase after revenge."

"That's what you think, but it was more than that," he told her insistently. "You taught me to live, to survive, even in the face of despair. At the time, it was just what I needed."

He continued. "Even when you disappeared, you taught me to look to a better future; a future, where we could all be together, smiling and laughing like we had before"

At that moment, he paused. "And, most importantly," he finally said, a blush beginning to form on his cheeks. "You taught me how to love."

That was the _last_ thing she had expected to hear.

Instantly, Lightning took up a rigid stance – a well-practiced defense maneuver to prevent herself from giving away her real emotions. She forced her expression to remain neutral even as he continued to watch her, although warmth was beginning to spread through her heart. _'Does he really...?'_

He went on, unaware of her reaction. "I'm not sure when it started...but somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you, Claire." His expression was calm, but she could see his sincerity in his eyes. "I'm not sure what it's supposed to feel like, but...if wanting to protect someone, wanting to always be by their side, is considered love, I have no doubt about how I feel."

With every word he spoke, she found her face growing warmer and warmer, and she struggled to formulate a response. _'His feelings are the same as mine...'  
_  
Something in her expression must have emboldened him, because he took a step forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. Then, to her utmost surprise, he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek.

She remained rooted to the ground, even as he pulled away a few seconds later and gave her a shy smile. Her cheeks were burning, and she was sure that her face had turned completely red. But she could still not muster up a response. Slowly, his expression faltered

"I know...that it's still difficult for you to see me as anything other than a child," he told her, still smiling, although a hint of sadness had managed to creep into his tone. "But I want to thank you for giving me the chance to be by your side. Even if it was just for a couple of days...it meant more to me than anything."

He had accepted her silence as his answer. Lightning wanted to shake her head and refute everything that he was saying, but her muscles would not move. Then, Hope took a step backward and turned around, whispering a soft, "Goodbye...Lightning."

Her mind screamed at her to stop him as he began to walk away, but her feet remained frozen in place. Her heart implored her to return his feelings, to tell him that she felt the same way, but she could not open her mouth to speak, and the words would not come, even as he grew farther and farther away.

Only once he had driven off did she finally come to her senses, realising that she had probably just broken her best friend's heart. Placing a hand against her chest, she allowed a single tear to roll down her cheek.

_'W-what have I done?'_

* * *

_Leave it to Hope to forget what Lightning told him about finding Noel and Yeul in the first chapter. :P_

_Speaking of Noel and Yeul, this was actually my first time writing the two of them, so I'm quite nervous as I post this. I tried to portray Yeul a little differently from how she actually appeared in the games, because in this world she has had enough time to grow into her own person. I drew inspiration from the Yeul of Noel's time, who we only ever saw during a small section of XIII-2, so it wasn't too much to go on...anyway, I hope she turned out alright! I also revised the last scene countless times because I was never quite satisfied with it, so I hope the end product was worth it. __Please do leave a review and tell me what you think - any and all feedback is welcome!_


	8. Chapter 8

_The response I received for the previous chapter was overwhelming - thank you all so much! I've put in an extended thank-you note at the end of this chapter, but I'd also like to give a shout-out to a friend of mine for reading through and "approving" this chapter (even though she isn't in the fandom!), and to sillyrabbitp for providing me with a bunch of ideas for this fic, one of which inspired this chapter. A huge thanks to the two of you!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters._

* * *

Aftermath: Chapter 8

_These conversations between us should always continue this way_

_These encounters of ours should always continue this way_

_Let us spend all our days and nights like this_

* * *

Before long, Hope managed to fall back into his old routine. He met with his colleagues on a daily basis, visited various universities on occasion as a guest lecturer, and continued with his general research on world-sustaining techniques. But every so often, his thoughts drifted back to Lightning, or rather, to his sudden departure after he had confessed his feelings to her.

_'__I shouldn't have left so suddenly,'_ he berated himself, over and over again. _'If anything, I should've stayed and waited for her to say __something__.'_

During the time he had known Lightning, he had learned to read her words and expressions until she was an open book to him. But during his confession, her face had been the perfect mask; so perfect, in fact, that even _he _had found himself unable to see through it. As a result, fear had crept into his heart – fear of being rejected, of being pushed away or ignored.

_'__Better to leave now without an answer, than to be rejected straight out,'_ he had told himself as he had walked away. With each step, he had found himself regretting his actions more and more, and the lack of response from behind him had only served to reinforce his fears. _'She must hate me…why did I choose to tell her in the first place?'_

But now, he knew that he had been irrational. Lightning was not a person so easily swayed by things such as this, and a simple discussion would have resolved matters in no time. The two of them would have resumed their friendship, and everything would have gone back to normal.

Instead, nearly a month had gone by without a word from Lightning. Serah called from time-to-time, and he often spoke with Snow as well – the two of them invited him to dinner every weekend, but he could never bring himself to accept. Not when he knew that he and Lightning were already on shaky ground when it came to their relationship.

_'__In the end…I'm a coward. She told me she would accept me no matter what…I know that, and I'm __still__ afraid.'_

* * *

A few nights later, he finally made up his mind.

_'__I can't leave things like this…if anything, I need to apologise,'_ he told himself as he drove home at the end of another tiring day. The sky above New Academia was pitch dark, and the streetlights melded into each other as he whizzed past them in his car, still lost in thought. He barely noticed when he finally arrived at his apartment complex, parking his car and walking towards the elevator in a robotic manner.

_'__It's decided – I'll call her tonight.' _He glanced at his watch and winced; it was already past 10 p.m. _'Or maybe tomorrow…it's probably too late by now…'_

He was still in a daze when the elevator stopped at his floor; stepping out, he absently stared at his shoes while reaching into his pocket to get his keys. Then, he looked up, and froze.

A small, familiar suitcase was sitting right beside his apartment door, and next to it, Lightning was curled up on the ground, leaning against the wall. She looked to be sound asleep, and Hope reached up to rub his eyes, wondering if he had somehow fallen asleep while driving, or if he was seeing things. But a few self-inflicted pinches to the arm later, it was clear that he was not dreaming. For some reason, Lightning had come to see _him_. The thought made his heart swell with both affection and fear, but the former clearly outweighed the latter, and he slowly knelt down beside her and nudged her shoulder with his hand.

"Light…Claire…wake up," he whispered as gently as he could manage without allowing his heart to leap out of his chest. He continued to shake Lightning's shoulder, until she finally opened her eyes, instantly raising an arm to shield herself from the light of the corridor.

She let out a soft groan. "You work…really long hours…" she mumbled, shifting her weight until she was sitting up straighter against the wall. Hope pulled away slightly and stood up, giving her a sheepish smile.

"I guess I should've mentioned that at some point…sorry." He held a hand out to her, offering to help her up. "How long have you been here…and why…?" His mind prevented him from being anything less than shocked at her appearance, and he suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

She reached up and took his hand, pulling herself to her feet and stumbling forward slightly in the process. It was obvious that she was still half-asleep, and he steadied her by placing his free hand on her other shoulder. Their close proximity made his cheeks turn pink, but she appeared to take no notice as she leaned against him.

A few moments later, she pushed herself away, and he stepped back as she attempted to regain her bearings. "I…Serah kicked me out of the house," she answered in a non-committal tone, refusing to meet his gaze. "She said she didn't want to see me lying around the house doing nothing, so she told me to come to the city and get a job."

Hope raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like something Serah would say," he countered, and she frowned, before letting out a sigh.

"Fine. That was a lie,' she admitted. "I told her about our…conversation, a few weeks ago." The mere mention of it made him stand up a little straighter. "She wanted me to come here and talk to you in person, since I always refused to talk to you over the phone." With some hesitation, she added, "Mind if I come in?"

"O-of course not," he blurted out, moving to unlock the door and switching on the lights. She followed him in, and he fought the urge to apologise for the condition of his apartment. It was a mess, considering he was only ever at home for a few hours a day, and most of those were spent sleeping. It seemed more like a messy storage space than a house; yet Lightning did not appear to mind as she weaved past a series of unpacked cartons, pausing to eye a small photo-frame that had been haphazardly placed on a counter.

"Make yourself at home…can I get you anything? Water, or, uh-" He began to dig through the cupboards and refrigerator in the kitchen, but she walked over and placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

With a slow shake of her head, she said, "I'm alright. Let's just sit down."

They made their way across the hallway and into the sitting room. A pair of couches filled up most of the space in the room, and Lightning seated herself on one of them. He sat down on the couch across from her and leaned forward – it reminded him of the time she had come to see him at his parents' house, asking him to come along with her on her journey. Only a month had passed since then, and yet it seemed like it had happened a lifetime ago.

At first, neither of them made a move to speak, and the room was filled with a silence that was almost deafening. Hope toyed with the idea of apologising to her, but before he could say anything, she beat him to it.

"I'm sorry," she told him sincerely, her gaze fixed on the floor beneath her feet. She seemed genuinely remorseful, and Hope did not understand why. The fault had been his, after all.

"W-why are _you_ apologising?" he asked, surprised. "You didn't do anything – I was the one who-"

She raised her hands, stopping him in his tracks. "No – _I_ should have said something at the time, but instead I just let you walk away. And I didn't make an effort to talk to you afterwards...I'm sorry, Hope."

He placed a hand behind his neck, smiling in a way that he hoped was reassuring. "Don't be. I shouldn't have sprung it on you so suddenly in the first place, and you probably didn't know how to respond."

Lightning swallowed. "Well, to tell you the truth, I _did_."

His carefully planned response died in his throat. She did not appear to notice the way he stared at her as she went on. "I knew what I wanted to say, but...the words wouldn't come." She finally met his gaze. "But I've had more than enough time to think this over, and if anything, you deserve a response. So I'll make this quick."

Hope sighed and smiled wistfully; he had been preparing himself for her rejection for a long time now, and he hoped he could salvage what was left of their friendship once she was finished. _'Just...don't be too hard on me, Claire. I don't think my heart could take it.'_

Lightning took in a breath, and he placed his hands on his knees, bracing himself for the worst.

"I think...I've fallen in love with you, too."

It took several moments for her words to sink in, and then, Hope's jaw dropped.

"You-you've-" His mind could not come up with a coherent response – she certainly had a way of taking him by surprise. While he struggled to say something, _anything_, she let out a sigh.

"I'm not lying, you know. You might think I said it just to make you feel better, but it's not just that." She smiled softly. "It took me four weeks for me to convince _myself_ that I love you, and I don't want to waste that much time again."

_'__Love...' _To hear her say the word twice in the same day…it sounded almost foreign to his ears. "Then, you really...?"

A blush began to form on her cheeks, but her smile did not fade. "It's just like what you said...when I really thought about it, I realised that I wanted to stay by your side. You bring out the best in me, Hope...and there's no one else who understands me better than you do." She paused. "You make me feel like I could be someone worthwhile, in this world where I'm...nothing."

"That's not true." In an instant, he was by her side, sitting down next to her on the sofa. He took her hand in his, ignoring the way his heart sped up at the contact. "You don't have to be a figure of authority to be _something_, Claire. You're important to me; to all of us. And you've done more than enough for the world – the Saviour deserves a break."

She let out a soft laugh. "So does the former 'leader of humanity'," she countered, the corner of her lips pulled up in a smirk.

He grinned sheepishly. "I guess you're right; but I _do_ enjoy my work."

"Just don't forget to take it easy every now and then," she chided teasingly, gently nudging his shoulder with hers. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other – Lightning did not make an attempt to pull away, and he could hardly believe how easy it had been for things between them to return to normal.

Well, _almost_ normal. There was still another matter to address.

"So," he began slowly, leaning forward. "If we're both…in love with each other, does this mean-"

At that moment, the phone began to ring. He cursed inwardly before giving Lightning an apologetic smile, and then he stood up, walking across the room and picking up the receiver.

"Hope Estheim speaking."

_"__Hope, do you know where my sister is?" _the voice on the other end inquired.

He paused. "…Serah?"

_"__Yes, it's me." _She sounded frantic. _"Lightning's gone. She didn't tell me where she was going, and now it's nearly 11 PM…I'm starting to get worried…"_

Hope frowned. _'…didn't Claire say that __Serah__ was the one who told her to come here?'_

"Don't worry," he told Serah in a comforting tone. "Claire's here, at my place. She must've decided to come over without telling you." He shot Lightning an accusatory glance, and her shoulders slumped slightly in response.

He heard a sigh of relief over the phone. _"I'm glad to hear that," _she replied. _"If it's not too much trouble, could she stay with you for the night?"_

"Of course," he said without hesitation. "Don't worry; I'll take care of her."

_"__I know you will." _The teasing tone in Serah's voice was difficult to miss. _"Anyway, I'll call again tomorrow. Thanks a ton, Hope."_

With that, she hung up. Hope returned to his seat beside Lightning. "So, Serah _didn't_ know you were here?" He smirked. "You ran away from home?"

She flushed at his words. "I didn't want to wait, and she was at work, so I took a cab into the city. It took me a while to find your current address, though…I had to talk to more people than I would've liked to. I only found this place in the evening, and you _still_ weren't home." She huffed. "So I decided to wait…it's not like I had a choice, anyway."

"You did all of that…just to see me?" He was genuinely touched – Lightning had always been a person of action rather than words, and yet he had never expected that she would go to such lengths for his sake.

She nodded. "It wasn't a difficult decision to make. I never have anything to do at home, and the only thing I'm good for in this world is finding people. So I gave it a shot."

Her words were spoken in a flippant tone, but he could feel the underlying bitterness behind them. Without another moment's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, drawing her close. She let out a soft gasp, but otherwise remained still, silently allowing him to hold her.

"Stay here, with me," he whispered before he could stop himself. "I'll find things for you to do, so you don't have to feel like you're useless anymore. You could help me clean out the spare room and pick out some new furniture. And we could even take turns cooking."

At his mention of cooking, she let out a chuckle, and he felt his heart grow warm. "Serah never lets me into the kitchen, and you should probably do the same. I _still_ can't cook anything other than steak."

"Well, even if I have to eat steak every day for the rest of my life, I don't mind." He lowered his arms to encircle her waist instead, and pulled away slightly so he could look her in the eye. "Just as long as you stay."

Lightning's smile softened. "When you put it that way…of course I'll stay." She averted her eyes, focusing on his shoulder as her cheeks began to turn pink. "You know me better than anyone else does, Hope, and there's nowhere I'd rather be. These conversations with you make me feel…complete, somehow."

Slowly, she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Thank you, for everything," she whispered, meeting his gaze, and he could see her gratitude reflected clearly in her eyes.

Then, she reached up slightly, and kissed him.

Hope's eyes grew wide. It was a gently, shy contact, her lips barely pressed against his own, and yet he could not stop his heart from hammering within his chest. Before he could even think to respond, she pulled away and hid her face in his shirt.

"…now we're even," she murmured.

He let out a laugh. "This isn't a numbers game, Claire," he told her, still feeling slightly giddy from the kiss. "But if you're really keeping track, I'd say I owe _you_, now."

She hummed in affirmation, then looked up at him, her hands still clenching the fabric of his shirt lightly. "So," she began, raising an eyebrow. "When do you plan on getting even?"

There it was – a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, not unlike the one he had often seen in Lumina's eyes. It was more undeniable proof that Lightning was changing, and it filled him with happiness knowing that he was the only one who could bring out this side of her.

Unable to resist, he grinned. "Right now," he whispered without missing a beat, leaning down and touching his lips to hers.

This kiss was just as gentle as the one before it had been, and yet, it made him feel whole; almost as though he had found something he had been searching for his entire life. Somehow, he knew that she felt the same way as she moved her face even closer to his, deepening the kiss slightly, and he placed a hand against her cheek, stroking it softly with his thumb. He felt her smile against his lips, and he could not help but smile back even as they pulled apart, resting their foreheads against each other.

"…I could get used to this," she breathed, and he let out a chuckle in response.

"Me too," he agreed, looking into her eyes – they sparkled with an emotion that was starting to become more familiar by the day; an emotion that he hoped would only ever continue to grow from that point onwards. It was not love, or even affection…but to him, it was something much more valuable.

_Happiness._

And as the two of them leaned in again, bumping their noses against each other and laughing softly before allowing their lips to collide, a single thought crossed Hope's mind as he closed his eyes and held her closer:

_'__Yes, I could __definitely__ get used to this.'_

* * *

_Let our conversations melt into tune_

_Let our conversations dissolve into song_

* * *

__I didn't think I'd ever get to say this, but this is the final chapter of Aftermath. I posted this story in May, but I technically started writing it in December...now it's almost over, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling even a little emotional.__

__Yes, it is almost over, because I plan to post an epilogue, which should be up within the week! I hope this chapter was enjoyable...I haven't written fluff in a while, and this is probably the fluffiest piece I've done for this pairing. I've said this before, but there are a ton of amazing Hoperai authors out there who I really respect, so posting this makes me quite nervous (as always). I tried to achieve a balance between banter, fluff, and substance, and I hope that worked out! Please let me know what you think!__

__A big thank you to those who are following and have faved this story, and a MASSIVE thanks to everyone who reviewed: **lotuskasumi**, **MidnightFenrir**, **Lumina** (it's here - I hope you liked it!), **ultima-terra**, **Mako-chan** (thank you! Hopefully this ending was happy enough :D), **Guest** (I know how you feel ;_;), **Mila** (we all feel his pain...I think I managed to mend his heart in this chapter though!), **sironhisaki** (thank you so much! I hope you liked this ending!), **kwerk**, **TheMysteriousGeek2345**, **Serenity** (he should've waited...but I guess he was just scared :c), **Madalina** (that exactly! Which is why I wanted to have Lightning take action in this chapter :D), **Guest No. 1** (I'm really glad to know you liked it! Another piece of feedback about Yeul...I'm happy to hear she seemed in-character. I didn't want to drag out the drama too much, so here's your resolution!), **xxkoffeexx**, **MisaMisa** (here's the chapter, and Lightning's response too!), **Lara** (thanks a lot, and here it is!), and **ValkyrieSilmeria** (haha, I guess everyone likes drama! And you weren't too far off after all :D)__


	9. Epilogue

_A few weeks overdue, but the epilogue is finally here. I've had this ending planned out for a long time, but it took me this long to write it all down._

_This is the first multi-chaptered story I've ever finished. To be honest, I first wrote this story as an outlet for my thoughts, and so I was making things up as I went along. So after re-reading this story from start to finish, I've seen how my style has evolved, and there are sections I definitely would improve. But it's been a fun "project" to work on, and I hope to look back on it with fond memories someday!_

_For the final time (and I still can't believe I'm saying that!): thank you to those who have been following and have faved Aftermath! I hope you have enjoyed the story so far! And a HUGE thank you to those who reviewed the previous chapter: **lotuskasumi**, **MidnightFenrir**, **Guest No. 1** (I'm glad the chapter made you happy! You're very welcome :D), **TheMysteriousGeek2345**, **Mako-chan** (here it is!), and **regular guest** (that is a massive compliment - thank you so much!)._

_This is the end, and I hope this chapter is worth the wait!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters_

* * *

Aftermath: Epilogue

_A few months later…_

"Ready?" Hope asked, tugging on his seatbelt while simultaneously searching his pockets for his car keys.

Lightning unfurled the map in her hands. "As I'll ever be," she replied, and then frowned. "Sometimes I wonder why you don't just get one of those automated navigation devices. All the cars have them"

"It wouldn't be much use out in the country, anyway. Most of the roads aren't marked," he explained, placing the key in the ignition and turning it once. The car roared to life. "So, let's go over the plan one more time?"

She nodded. "We're all meeting up at some random location out in the country that my idiot brother-in-law scouted out," she said in a deadpan voice. "All we need to do now is follow his directions on this map, and we should get there…I think."

Hope pulled the car out of the parking lot and guided it onto the street. "It's time to put all that navigation practice to good use, Claire," he told her with a smile. "I haven't spent my weekends training you for nothing, you know."

She leaned over and gave him a small shove, smirking. "You're starting to sound like me now. Have we been spending too much time together?"

He let out a laugh. "I'd say not enough."

Lightning's smug grin softened. Despite his light-hearted tone, he was right. The two of them had been staying together in Hope's apartment for a long time now, and yet it felt as though she barely ever saw him. Their routine was straightforward – he would leave for work early in the morning and return late at night. As promised, they would take turns cooking dinner, and then watch movies until Hope fell asleep on the couch. Sometimes, she would drape a blanket over him and leave him there; other times, she would gently rouse him from his sleep and help him get to his room. And by the time she woke up the next morning, he would be gone already.

That was not to say that she had not found ways to spend her time. Unlike out in the suburbs, job placements for trained security personnel were readily available in the main city, and she had recently begun to apply for some of them. She went out for walks in the mornings and jogs in the evenings, and had even started writing an online blog in order to organise her thoughts.

"Hey, Claire…? Are you listening?"

She shook her head to clear her mind. "Sorry, I was thinking. What did you say again?"

"I said I'll be relying on you to guide me," he replied, his gaze still facing forward. "But if we get lost…well, at least we'll be together."

It seemed more like he was talking to himself, but his words still touched her heart, bringing back memories of the time he had pulled her out of the Chaos. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and she smiled back, even knowing that he would not see it.

"I won't let you down."

* * *

A few hours later, they parked the car at the side of a dirt track, beside a large field. The grassy expanse seemed to go on for miles, and they could see a few mountains in the distance, at the horizon. Not too far away, they saw a cluster of trees beside a small lake.

"Looks like we found it," Lightning said, pushing her bangs behind her ears as the wind played with her hair. Next to her, Hope nodded.

"I have to admit, Snow made a pretty good choice," he replied, staring out at the expanse. "Why don't we go ahead and set up our things?"

They grabbed a few bags from the trunk and made their way across the field, towards the lake. The sun reflected off the crystal clear surface of the water, making it sparkle in an ethereal way. At the same time, the trees were large and cast long shadows over an area that would be large enough for their entire group.

No one else had arrived yet, and Lightning heard Hope let out a sigh that sounded almost relieved. "Looks like we're the first ones here," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder to slow her down as they drew closer to the site. "Congratulations, Claire – you did a great job getting us here."

He pulled her closer and placed a kiss atop her head. Lightning cringed, and she felt his lips pull into a smirk. He knew that she did not like being kissed there, especially after being praised – she knew that it was a petty thought, but it made her feel small, like a child, and he often did it to tease her.

"You're the one who drove us here," she argued, trying to push him away and failing, mostly because it was a half-hearted attempt on her part. Hope simply wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her along, laughing when he noticed her grumpy expression.

They spread a mat on the ground and made themselves comfortable, leaning their backs against a large tree and facing the lake. While waiting for their friends to show up, they spoke about trivial things, their shoulders touching occasionally when they laughed or leaned closer to each other. Lightning realised how long it had been since they had last spoken like this, about everything and nothing at the same time. Curling up on the couch while watching movies had become a routine, but they only ever spoke about the shows they were watching, or watched in silence. It was soothing now, in a sense, to talk about their previous lives, the memories and experiences they had shared, and then switch topics for no rhyme or reason.

"How has the job hunt been going?" he asked, taking on an apologetic expression. "I've been busy with my research, so I haven't been able to ask. Sorry."

"Don't be," she told him as reassuringly as she could. "And as far as the hunt goes…I've found a lot of openings for security guard posts, so I might put in a few applications, see what I get."

"And then you'll get busy, too," he replied, a wistful look on his face. "I'm really happy for you, Claire, but I hope we won't have to start skipping out on movie nights. I don't know about you, but I really enjoy them. We spend too little time together as it is."

_'__So he was being serious earlier,'_ she mused, chewing on her lip. Then, she looked up at him, steadily meeting his gaze.

"I'll make time," she insisted. "But I still think _you're_ the one we have to worry about. You're a busy man, Mr. Estheim." The last two words were spoken in a mocking tone, and she wondered how he would respond to her indirect challenge.

Instead of getting flustered or trying to come up with a flippant response, he smiled, catching her off-guard. "In that case, I promise to make time, too," he told her sincerely, leaning down and shyly pressing his lips to hers. She did not protest, and instead leaned into the kiss. He shifted slightly, and the small object concealed in his jacket pocket moved to press against his side, alerting him to something he had almost forgotten about.

Reluctantly, he pulled away, meeting Lightning's confused and slightly indignant gaze. Her expression suddenly made him nervous, and he reached into his jacket, clamping his hands around the box for reassurance. Then, he took a deep breath.

"Claire, I've been meaning to give-"

The sound of a loud horn nearly made the two of them jump in surprise. They glanced past the trees and saw a massive Jeep parked beside Hope's car at the side of the road. The sound of its growling engine could be heard even from where they were sitting, and Lightning groaned. "I'm pretty sure I know who _that_ is…"

Sure enough, a few moments later, the growling stopped, and a large man got out of the driver's seat. He moved around to open the passenger door, escorting a pink-haired woman out of the car, and then waved in the direction of the trees.

"Sis! Hope! I see you two back there!" he called, a wide grin upon his face. Realising that it was pointless trying to hide, they began making their way towards the Jeep in the distance. When Lightning saw Serah walking towards her with two large bags in each of her hands, she strode forward quickly and took them from her younger sister's hands.

"I'll take care of these. You need to rest," she insisted.

Serah smiled with amusement, placing a hand over her mouth and another over her stomach. "I'm fine, Sis. After all, I'm not due for a _long_ time now."

"Still, you're my little sister. I can't help but feel protective."

At that moment, the rear door to the Jeep opened, and Noel stepped out carefully, offering a hand to Yeul once he was on solid ground. The latter instantly admired the wide-open location that they had chosen, while the former chose to admonish Snow. "So we don't get help? Do you know how hard it is to get in and out of this thing?"

"Hey, a Farron-Villiers baby is a precious thing!" Snow shot back, bumping his fists together. "I've gotta protect her and Serah at all costs!"

"You don't even know whether it's a girl or not," Hope countered, and Serah let out a sigh. The three men continued their discussion as they walked back towards their campsite, while the sisters and Yeul caught up on each other's lives. Reunions such as this one allowed them to meet quite frequently, but a lot could happen in a month, and there was always much to talk about.

Not long after, Sazh and Dajh arrived with Vanille and Fang in tow. After setting up their campsite to accommodate everyone's things, they all resumed their conversations, and Hope found himself in an interesting predicament.

"You didn't give it to her?!" Snow exclaimed, and the younger man was forced to wave his arms around frantically, insisting that he keep his voice down. Sazh, Fang and Noel said nothing; instead, they were all watching him expectantly, and Hope suddenly felt like he was being put on the spot. But he knew he would have to give them an explanation at some point. Eventually, he heaved a defeated sigh, and nodded.

Fang was on him in an instant. "You've been plannin' this thing for weeks!" she hissed, taking him by the shoulders and shaking him violently. "Why couldn't you just man up 'n' give it to her?!"

"It…isn't…that…simple…Fang!" he managed to choke out, and she finally let go of him. But the scowl on her face did not disappear as easily.

"Easy now, you two." Sazh stepped in calmly, forcing the woman to move away. But instead of taking his side, the man looked at Hope with disappointment in his gaze. "We took our own sweet time getting' here you know," he explained. "The least you could've done was stuck with the plan."

"…the plan?" Hope's shoulders slumped in confusion. "There was no plan! It was just an idea, a-a thought!" he exclaimed, exasperation leaking into his words. "And-wait, I didn't tell any of you in the first place!"

Noel raised an eyebrow. "Then why did-"

He stopped in his tracks, and four pairs of eyes were on Snow in an instant. The burly man raised his hands in a defensive gesture and turned to Hope, a sheepish grin on his face. "What? So I told the others! I thought you'd want them to know eventually!"

The silver-haired man was practically seething at this point. "You didn't just _tell_ them, did you? All of you were in on this from the start – that's why Claire and I got here first! Even I was confused, but I didn't have the heart to tell her that we were an hour late!"

"That ain't our fault," Fang chided, shaking her head. "Telling _Snow_ first, of all people, was _your_ mistake." She ignored said man's shout of protest and continued. "But the question is…what now? You've gotta give it to her eventually."

"I will, I will," Hope insisted. "I just…give me time, okay? Once it happens, I'll tell you everything."

"Once _what_ happens?"

With a start, he turned around and looked up only to see Lightning standing right behind him. She wore a look of confusion on her face, and he began sweating bullets. _'How much of that conversation did she hear?!'_

"Serah told me to come over and tell you that lunch is almost ready," she explained, still sounding curious. "Did I miss something important?"

With a short laugh, Fang stood up and walked past her, clapping her on the shoulder in the process. "Trust me, Sunshine. Once it happens, you'll be the first to know."

Then, Noel stood up abruptly. "I forgot to set up my barbecue!" he exclaimed, running a panicked hand through his hair. "Serah, wait!" he called as he jogged off in her direction. Sazh sighed, getting to his feet as well.

"Well, we'd best go help set up, at least. This whole mess took a lot outta me." He shot Hope a quick grin. "Better luck next time though, kid."

"…I'm not a kid," Hope replied half-heartedly as the man walked away, leaving him alone with Snow and Lightning. The former simply scooted aside, pretending to enjoy his surroundings, and Lightning fixed Hope with an expectant gaze.

Before he could begin to justify himself, however, she raised a hand. "I don't need to know…just as long as what Fang said is true."

Relief washed over him like a wave, and he nodded. "You _will _be the first to find out, Claire.

Inwardly, he added, _'This whole thing revolves around you, anyway…'_

"Good," came her simple response, and she placed an affectionate hand on his shoulder. "Now let's go help Noel with that barbecue."

* * *

A lingering aura of peace surrounded the group of friends as they ate. There was a time when all of them being together like this had been no more than a dream, but now that it was finally happening, Lightning could hardly believe it. This was the first time they had all been together since Nova Chrysalia, and the others shared in her disbelief.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm going to wake up one day and find myself in New Bodhum again," Serah confessed, leaning back against Snow's broad shoulder. "This is so…surreal. I almost can't believe that it's happening."

"Well you'd better start believin' soon," Fang said as she reached over and plucked a piece of meat from Vanille's plate, popping it in her mouth. "You were a Seeress back in the day. If you're thinkin' things like that, I wouldn't be surprised if this _is_ a dream. What d'you think, Yeul?"

The blue-haired girl looked down at her hands. "For so long, the reason for my existence was to see the future. But ever since coming to this world, I haven't had a single dream." She smiled. "I would like to believe that this is reality, but who can say for sure?"

Noel placed a hand atop hers. "If you haven't had any visions, then that must mean this world is the real deal, right?" He looked to the others. "After all, if _Yeul_ of all people hasn't seen or felt anything…"

"Well, I don't think it's worth thinkin' about," Sazh offered, holding a smiling Dajh in his arms as he sat. "We're here, and we're _alive_, aren't we? That's good enough for me."

Every gaze turned to the last pair, awaiting a response from either Hope or Lightning, both of whom had been eating in silence up until now. The former soldier chewed her food slowly to indicate her reluctance to say anything, until her companion nudged her in the shoulder, implying that she speak on their behalf. Closing her eyes in defeat, she swallowed and said, "I agree with Sazh."

She began to explain. "I was fighting for centuries… maybe even millennia…and all I wanted was for it to _stop._" She clenched her fists in her lap. "The future we had seen seemed so far away, and I never thought we'd actually get here."

Out of the corner of her eye, Lightning saw Hope give her a reassuring smile. She smiled back, and continued. "It's over. Cocoon and Pulse don't exist anymore, and neither does Nova Chrysalia. This world is our new home, and it's up to us to enjoy the time we have…even if it _does_ eventually turn out to be a dream."

The rest of them nodded in unison, offering words of agreement and continuing with their conversation. They talked and laughed for hours, and when the sky finally began to turn a deep orange, it was time for them to go their separate ways.

"Fang and I are gonna host next month's reunion," Vanille said cheerily as they all carried their things back to the cars parked beside the road. "It's a bit out of the way, but you'd better come!"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Snow replied with a wink and a thumbs-up using his free hand. They packed their things away and began the process of saying their goodbyes. Serah hugged everyone as they offered her their congratulations yet again, and she moved to face Lightning last.

"Take care of yourself, alright Sis?" she said, tears brimming in her eyes. Lightning cleared her throat, unsure of what to do, before throwing all caution to the wind and wrapping her arms around her little sister.

Her display of affection surprised everyone, including herself, but she did not pull away. "I will," she promised. "Look after yourself and the baby…and that oaf of yours," she added as an afterthought, laughing slightly as she pulled away. Serah's eyes still shined with tears, but happiness was evident in her gaze as she nodded in response.

"Come visit New Academia sometime," Hope told Sazh and the other occupants of his car. "Light and I would be glad to show you around. It's a big city, but the roads are nothing compared to the ones out here."

"We'd be glad to," Vanille replied with a smile. Beside her, Dajh nodded, a small grin on his face.

"You'll be with us all day, right?" he asked. "I don't wanna get lost in the city…" A worried look made its way onto the boy's face, but Vanille smiled at him reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Dajh!" she said, tapping the boy on the nose and eliciting a short laugh from him. "I'm sure your big brother will take a day off just to hang out with us. Won't you, Hope?"

She looked up at Hope expectantly, and he smiled at the two of them. "Of course. Just let me know when."

He and Lightning lingered beside the road as the two cars drove off, waving to their friends as they drew further and further away. Once again, it was just the two of them.

Hope cleared his throat. "Um, before we leave…do you want to go down to the lake again?"

Still feeling slightly emotional after being separated from her sister, she nodded, moving closer and twining her hand with his. "Sure."

* * *

Wisps of purple dotted the orange sky, and the sinking sun was reflected upon the lake's still surface. It reminded Lightning of the day she had set out on her journey with Hope. At the time, she never would have imagined that they would come this far together; yet here they were again, and it filled her with a sense of completeness.

"…do you still have those nightmares?" she asked, suddenly remembering their conversation from months ago. "The ones where I push you away…?"

He pulled his eyes away from the lake and met her gaze sincerely. "No," he replied honestly. "I haven't had a single nightmare ever since we talked that night." After a few moments of silence, he shyly added, "Your "charm" must've worked."

She remembered leaning her forehead against his for the first time, and her cheeks grew warm at the memory. It was not an unusual gesture for them anymore, but at that time, she had still been reluctant to deal with her steadily growing feelings for him. Even now, it was difficult for her to give their relationship a clear-cut definition, but as long as they were together, it did not matter.

"I-I got you something," Hope began suddenly, snapping her out of her daze. He seemed to struggle with himself, looking nervous as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a box the size of his palm. Before she could ask any questions, he opened it and offered it to her, averting his gaze out of embarrassment.

She peered into the box and felt her heart flutter with surprise. Inside it lay two crystalline charms – one was a soft pink rose, and the other was shaped like a pale yellow star. It did not take her long to recognise that they were shaped like their Eidoliths.

"I had these made, based on what I could remember," he offered, trying to break the silence. "One for each of us...I hope you like yours..."

Lightning was speechless. They were beautiful, and she could not find the words to express how she felt. But she knew that he was anxious, and not wanting to deny him an answer, she reached around her neck and unfastened the necklace that she always wore.

He looked at her in confusion as she carefully picked up the charm shaped like his Eidolith and threaded it onto the chain, fastening it around her neck again. The little star was slightly displaced by the lightning-bolt pendant that she always wore, but that placed it closer to her heart, making her smile.

"Thank you, Hope. I love it," she told him, and she meant every word. He sighed, relieved, and then picked up the other charm lying in the box.

"You know…_this_ one was meant for you," he admitted, and she blushed, realising her mistake. But as she moved to return it, he shook his head. "No, keep it. I guess…it's a piece of me that'll always be with you."

Lightning held her necklace up to the fading rays of sunlight, admiring the way the shape of his Eidolith sparkled as it caught the light. "Then consider my charm the same," she told him softly as he gazed at the small rose that rested between his fingertips. "No matter what happens, I'll always stay by your side."

After a few moments of silence, he placed his charm back in it box and returned it to his pocket. Then, he wrapped his arms around her waist, just as she raised her arms to encircle his shoulders. Their foreheads touched as they gazed into each other's eyes; eyes filled with mirth and contentment and _love_. And as the sun finally sank beneath the horizon, they smiled as their lips met, a single touch conveying more than words ever could.

_"__This journey is over. I wonder when the next will begin._

_I only know that soon, we'll be together."_

_-Claire "Lightning" Farron_

* * *

**The End**


End file.
